Episode 8: Arrival of the 1st Game Master
Meanwhile, as Yugi was having fun with his friends during their school days, there was a slight enigma that was growing. In the home of his mansion was Seto Kaiba, heir to the Kaiba Corporation that was mostly known for gaming distribution throughout the world. Though it wasn't always like this, many people in this generation know the company for such things. It was all thanks to Seto Kaiba, who studied endlessly and used his passion for games as motivation for his true projects. And yet, during that very day, as the sun was setting in an orange sky, the CEO looked out of his window from his office. His face was that of pondering, as his mind was becoming increasingly wrapped with his recent loss over Yugi Mutou.
"Yugi…" Kaiba muttered, all he could picture at the moment was the face of the one that forced him into a draw. He still remembered the words that were spoken from him.
'Kaiba, you don't get it, do you? There's a reason why Blue Eyes White Dragon isn't taking your orders. Because it knows you are not the true owner... I can see it. I can feel Grandpa's heart within the Blue Eyes. Where it's loyalty truly lies.'
Somehow, it was those words that really got to Kaiba. Even he wasn't sure what to think of it all. A card choosing who to battle against and for whom, ridiculous! They were pieces of paper, they should have no will of their own! And yet, it was Yugi who told him that and he was the one that managed to beat the Blue Eyes. Surely he must have cheated, Yugi set the game up, so he must have had the upper hand. That was what Kaiba believed, even though he did not win. "Yugi… you have gotten me a draw in a game that I thought I ruled over." Kaiba said to himself, looking out the window as he thought about everything. "After that defeat…" He closed his eyes, thinking back to his trophy room that he went into. He smashed everything, tossing all of his trophies aside. At first, he was angry, distraught by the very idea that someone had managed to actually tie with him. Seto Kaiba, the Japanese Champion of Duel Monsters! It was truly absurd, to think he could have been tied up with someone that only got into the game when it was just being transported to Japan.
To say that Seto was outraged would have been an understatement. However, as his anger started to die down, he looked over at the trophies. The ones that he had won… so easily. It was at that moment, that the feelings Kaiba had against Yugi turned into something more: Inspiration. A type of passion he had never felt in such a long time. All of the Duels that he had before didn't compare to the exhilaration and the intensity that Yugi gave to him. An expression of delightfulness spread on Kaiba's face as he smiled. "Yugi… you were the first person to give me such a worthy challenge. I haven't felt such adrenaline from a game in so long. I don't know where you got such confidence and skill from, but mark my words… I will take you down and show you that no matter how much of an upper hand or what kind of tricks you play on me, I will be the one to come out on top!"
Kaiba saw Yugi as someone that was worthy to challenge, someone that could give him an actual fight and go all out. It was what he had been waiting for. As upset as he was towards the draw, he wanted to use that anger to motivate him to defeat Yugi on his own terms. Clearly cheating didn't do him any good, but then again, if he played his cards right, he may be able to beat Yugi fair and square. Though that would take some time and planning. "However…" Kaiba rubbed his chin. "To say you would be my greatest enemy may be an understatement. After all, it was mostly luck that he must have won…" Kaiba stated himself. "I have to be sure that he is in fact a worthy rival. After all, I don't want to go through all that preparation only to be given a half-hearted fight." The CEO hummed, trying to think of what to do next. He should test Yugi, see how good his skills are if faced in such a situation where something was on the line. The brunets' eyes landed in the corners of the room, where there was one large gargoyle-like statue standing on a large pillar. Each one with a different colored gem, from green, to blue, to red and to yellow.
A smile graced Kaiba's lips once more as he looked at the statues, each one representing someone that was worthy to be acknowledged by Kaiba due to how skillful they were when it comes to games. Yes, it would be a perfect way to see how worthy Yugi was. "The Game Masters… they should help Yugi warm up to his very best. If he can manage to beat them, then he should be prepared for me. After all, I want our fight to be clean and fair, to show who the true winner is." Kaiba laughed. "The time has finally arrived for the Game Masters to fully show themselves." Kaiba went over to his desk, pressing the button on his landline phone for work. "Hobson, send a Kaiba Corp Chopper to London. Tell Baron Didory Sheldan that his assistance is required for Kaiba Corp." Seto then hung up the phone, knowing that in a few days, he would have the first of the four game masters to challenge Yugi and test his true skills.
While Kaiba began his plans, everything seemed pretty peaceful during the school day that Yugi and his friends were enjoying. It was another Wednesday, a few days after the Kujirada event and the Digital Pet Championship. Miho and Honda entered together as they were determined to win. Sadly, they were not able to get the trip to Australia like Miho hoped, but their Digi Pet, Super Ichigo would be seen as a rare pet and they got a good compensation for their participation. Both Miho and Honda were pretty down, especially with how hard they worked and all that trauma they went through. Still, their friends were there to help them overcome their disappointment. In the end, Miho and Honda split the money, and Miho was planning on using it for a spa day or perhaps a day at the beach since summer was pretty close.
Yugi figured they could try to find a way to take their minds off of such let downs by going to a familiar comfort: Duel Monsters. Yugi managed to bring in some new cards and a few different territory maps for them to summon the cards on. Since he first introduced them to the game and after Seto Kaiba, they did say they wanted to try and get more involved with the cards. So, during their break they all gathered around the desk that the shortest boy set up and got the cards stacked.
"Sorry we're making you go through all this trouble." Jounouchi noted as he was being the watcher for the duel. "You're the one that keeps bringing this stuff and setting it up."
"It's fine, really." Yugi assured. "I don't mind, I wanted to show you guys the game and I figured the least I could do was support you with it." It was true. Yugi really loved it when he was the one setting up the game and being able to play with everyone. It made him feel very important, a feeling he never really got to have in a long time. "As long as you guys are still willing to learn and play, that is…"
"Of course we still want to learn." Anzu assured him as she took a stand behind Yugi.
"Yeah, it still seems pretty interesting." Honda agreed as he watched by Miho's side.
Miho nods. "Besides, a lot of the cards are pretty!"
"And if it means beating Honda in something that is brain based, I can beat him and get bragging rights." Jounouchi smirked.
Honda mused. "You'd have to beat me first to gain such rights."
"And both of you need to know how to play the game first before you can go fighting each other." Anzu pointed out. The two male students looked at one another, glairing in determination as they wanted nothing more than to wipe the floor with each other. Of course, they would need to understand Duel Monsters before they could play against one another. Yugi would be more than happy to show them how it was done.
"Alright, who wants to go first?" Yugi asked, already setting up his own Deck as he knew what cards to use. He waited for anyone to sit down across from the desk so he could duel them. At first, it seemed there were no volunteers, they were mostly interested in watching. Thankfully, it was Cosmo who sat across, smiling as she seemed just as determined. "You're gonna try Duel Monsters, Cosmo?"
She nodded. "I don't think I'll be any good, but I have been reading over the rules and looking at the Monsters. So I might stand a chance." She didn't seem as confident, but she was still willing.
"Don't worry, it's okay if you don't win your first round. It takes a lot of experience and time. Just read the cards and their effects, you should be okay. Need help making your deck?" Yugi asked her.
"No, I think I can manage." She assured, gathering some cards that Yugi brought that had not been made into a deck. It took her a bit before finally gathering 40 cards, and once that was done, Yugi told her where the deck went and the graveyard. After re-explaining the rules, they began. Cosmo went first, placing down a monster as she tried to keep a defense. Yugi managed to get a card down to destroy her wall monster, then she retaliated with another monster that was weak at first until she used the power boost from the map. Everyone watched in anticipation as they wondered who would come out on top. With each turn, someone got an advantage only for a split second before the opponent got the upper hand. The game lasted only five minutes, before Yugi came out on top with a remaining 700 life points.
"Woah, looks like Yugi wins!" Jounouchi declared.
"Aww man…" Cosmo sighed in disappointment.
"Way to go, Yugi." Honda cheered.
Even Yugi himself was amazed by how well he handled that Duel. He really thought he would have lost, but somehow turned it around when he needed it most. "I can't believe I won!"
"And I thought I was doing well too." Cosmo looked at the rest of the cards that were in her hand. She was clearly saddened by the fact she didn't win, despite her near victory.
Yugi noticed this and tried to make her feel better. "Come on, Cosmo. It's no reason to be upset. Like I said, it takes a lot of practice and luck to win a duel. I've just had a better experience because my Grandpa has taught me."
"But you also have a Game Shop where they sell these cards, so you get the better end of the deal." Jounouchi points out, referring to how because of Yugi's connections with the Kame Game Store, he was able to get good cards to use against his opponent.
Anzu rolled her eyes. "Come on, all the cards were from the same shop. And Yugi chose his deck while Cosmo got hers." She pointed out.
The green haired girl sighed, getting up and looked at Yugi with a small smile. "Thanks for the Duel Yugi." She bowed in respect. She wanted to be a good sport about the game, after all that was what it was in the end.
Yugi smiled back, glad Cosmo was able to be reasonable about her loss. "You did have me on the ropes, honestly if it wasn't for the last card, I don't think I would have won." Yugi told her. "Maybe with a bit more practice and a better structured deck, you could end up being a pro in no time." The green haired girl looked up at Yugi, hearing the words he spoke. Her face went red once again, as her smile was wavy.
"I… I mean… I doubt I can get on that level…" She scratched her cheek as she was flustered. She was being modest, but Yugi could still sense potential in her.
"Don't feel embarrassed. This is the first time I've won in a Duel. My Grandpa always beats me." Yugi told them.
"I thought your grandfather only began to play Duel Monsters like Yugi?" Miho stated in a confused tone.
"Oh no, he actually played the game back when it was first released in America. Which was about three years ago. He was over there visiting a friend who gave him the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He told you that story, didn't he?" Yugi asked, as he remembered the tale that Sugaroku recalled when he first showed everyone his prized card.
"Not the version about him playing the actual game." Jounouchi admitted. "So Gramps must be a pro then!"
Yugi chuckled nervously. "Well, he does know a lot about the game and was able to get some good cards. He taught me the basics, but I doubt even I can get to his level."
"Hey, what happened to that persistence before?" Anzu asked as she flicked the back of Yugi's head. When he felt that, he looked over at the brunette who had her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Weren't you the one encouraging everyone else about being a pro?"
"Well yeah but…" Yugi trailed off.
Before he could even try to form a reason for Anzu, the speakers in the room chimed up. A feminine voice rang out, making the announcement. "Yugi Mutou from first year class B, come to the infirmary right away. I repeat, Yugi Mutou from first year class B, please report to the infirmary right away." All of the gang looked up to the speaker, hearing the woman talk. When she called out the person she needed to see, Yugi was the most surprised.
He blinked, holding his cards as he stared in disbelief. "She wants to see me?" Yugi wasn't sure why he had to go down. He never got called by a staff member before, and it made him slightly nervous.
"Woah, Yugi did you do something wrong?" Jounouchi asked as he stared at the short high schooler.
"Of course not!" Anzu shoved the blond as she was glaring at him. "Yugi hasn't done anything wrong."
"You think it's something serious? Like something happening with your folks?" Honda wondered. That made Yugi shudder, he hoped it wasn't the case.
"But he was told to report to the infirmary. Wouldn't he have to report to the Principal's Office if that was the case?" Miho said out loud as she was just as confused about the situation. That helped Yugi calm down a little bit. If it was really serious, then he wouldn't go to the infirmary. But it did beg the question why go there in the first place?
"I have heard that physical exams were this week. Maybe that's what's going on?" Cosmo wondered. That did seem pretty reasonable.
"Actually, I heard all of C class got their physicals last week." Anzu added in.
"If it's just a physical, then you have nothing to worry about." Jounouchi patted Yugi on the back. "Though I highly doubt your score will change." He joked, which made Yugi laugh because he knew it was true. Hopefully the physical wouldn't be too long, but just in case he gathered his cards and the Duel Monsters map to shove in his backpack. He then took it with him as he headed out of the classroom and began to navigate his way to the infirmary. He wasn't as nervous as before, but his curiosity still peaked him as he wondered why the nurse wanted to see him. He figured it had to have been the physical, but if that were the case, why now? The next class session was going to be in twenty minutes, and he was not going to miss his class in History.
Once he managed to find the door to the room, he stood in front of it and called out. "Excuse me." Yugi then slid the door open, going into the infirmary. The Nurse was sitting at her desk, back facing him as her pink scrubs and long, shiny violet hair was all he could see at the moment. "Sensei?" Yugi called to her, wondering what she was doing.
"Is that you, Yugi, Mutou?"
"Y-yes…" He stuttered for a bit, getting worried once again but not sure why.
"Come in." The Nurse instructed. Yugi closed the door behind him and walked over, trying to keep himself steady. He was sure it was just a normal exam and he would be out of here soon.
"So… what did you want to see me about?" Yugi asked as he watched her turn in her chair, staring at him with a smile.
"I've been hearing rumors that you have become strong, Yugi." She looked at him with shamrock eyes.
Yugi jumped, hearing that as he flushed with embarrassment. Rumors? What rumors? Surely it must have been a lie, because he was not strong at all. "Uh… I think you must be mistaken… I'm not that strong." He waved his hands defensively.
The Nurse only smiled with her rose lips as she reached from her desk to take out a stack of cards, Duel Monsters cards to be exact. "I meant strong gaming wise." Now Yugi was even more confused, blinking at the Nurse as his face started to revert back to normal. Before he could really ask, the Nurse looked at him and continued. "You've been bringing Duel Monsters to class a lot lately." She noted.
This caused the high schooler to fiddle with his fingers as he was being all the more modest. "Well… I'm not that good, really. I wasn't aware you knew about it, Sensei."
The Nurse kept her smile as she flicked her fingers to shuffle the cards a bit. "Well, I have taken it up as a hobby. However, I was curious about the rumors and wanted to see it for myself. So, I want to see the skills, okay?"
Yugi wasn't sure what to think of the situation anymore. The Nurse called him to play Duel Monsters? Normally, he wouldn't object to such a fun game, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something about this was off. He was called to the Nurse's office just for this? It didn't seem like her, since she always took her job of caring for students so seriously. A hobby would be one thing, but taking it up with the high schoolers was some sort of strange warning. But it wasn't like Yugi could refuse, after all she was technically staff. And if it was just one game, surely it wouldn't hurt anything. Yugi reluctantly nodded, giving in to the beautiful woman. She took it upon herself to set up the table for them to play the game on. They sat on a chair on either side of the large desk that the Nurse converted to hold the map on as their decks were on their left side.
"Alright, everything is set up." The Nurse told him. "Now, I trust you know the rules?"
"We each start with 2000 life points and have five cards in our hand. Every turn, we each draw a card from our deck and add it to our hand. However, the one to take the first turn does not draw the card from the deck." Yugi explained.
"Very good." The Nurse gathered her first five cards in her hand as she looked at Yugi. "Alright, you may take the first turn." Yugi looked at his hand, it wasn't much but he figured it would help somewhat. Since it was his first turn, he figured he better play it safe.
"I summon Rock-Gun in defense position, I'll put him on the Wasteland field, which covers 20 percent of the map." Yugi stated. His Rock-Gun was a rock monster, it had a low attack of 500, but it had a defense of 1500, with an extra 300 defense boost on the 20 percent of the Wasteland field, so it brought a total of 1800 Defense Points. It wasn't much but Yugi figured it would hold him for a bit. "With the Wasteland field, he has a strong defense of 1800." Yugi told the Nurse.
She stared at the card, a bit unimpressed. "Playing Defense on the first turn is pretty boring." She notes.
Hearing that comment, Yugi scratched his head. "But this is how you usually start off, and besides, best to play it safe especially on your first turn." That was one of the first rules his Grandfather taught him.
"I suppose so," the Nurse said as she drew her card from her deck and smiled. "But let us see how well your monster handles my spell card. Stop Defense." The Nurse set a spell card in her trap/spell zones, as she looked at Yugi's monster. "This card allows me to target one Defense Position Monster on the field and switch it to Attack. And I chose your Rock-Gun." Yugi was forced to flip his Monster to attack position, but even with the field boost, Rock Gun only had 600 Attack Points total. What was worse, she wasn't even done yet. "Next, I will summon Ghost." She placed the monster card on the Dark Forest area. The monster had 500 Attack Points to start out, however, with the Dark Forest covering 20 percent of the field, it gained an extra 100 Attack Points, making it equal to Yugi's monster. When he saw that, he blinked as he was amazed by how well thought out the Nurse's move was. She then dragged both cards away. "Since their attack power was equal, they both go down but none of us lose any Life Points."
Yugi looked up at the Nurse, a bit pleased with that move. "Woah, that was pretty incredible."
She only giggled. "Relying on just Monster cards alone won't guarantee you any victory. I will place one card face down and end for now."
Yugi noticed the card on her side of the field, no doubt it was a trap card. But without any monsters on the field, she didn't have much of a chance. Still, better to keep a defensive run just in case. "Alright, my turn." Yugi drew his card from the deck, smiling as he looked at the one he drew. "I'll place Dark Mammoth in Defense Mode, putting him on the Dark Forest." Yugi put the faceup card sideways, smiling. His original defense is 1600, but with the added twenty percent of the Dark Forest, his defense is now 1840." Yugi felt he had the advantage. His monster had a better defense than the last one. And there was no way she would be able to have another spell card that could turn his monster to attack position. For now, he would wait it out to see her next move.
"Again with the defensive, but that can only take you so far." She stated as she drew her card and smiled. "In that case, I play my next monster, Chimera in the Forest Field." Yugi looked at the card the Nurse played on the field, a monster from Greek mythology. It didn't seem too tough though, only having 800 attack points and yet she placed the monster in that position.
'She played a weak monster in attack position?' Yugi thought to himself. 'Chimera is a beast type, so with the ten percent on the Forest area, he only gets 80 extra attack points, not even a full 900. My Mammoth would be strong enough to defeat her no matter what position.' Yugi believed he would win this round for certain. "Alright! My turn!" Yugi drew his card and switched the position of his card on the field. "I'll switch Dark Mammoth to Attack Mode, and have him destroy your Chimera!" Yugi stated in a determined tone, as he tasted the tanginess of victory. "Guess this means I win this round." He cheered to himself.
He reached over, about to take Chimera himself, however, the Nurse spoke up. "Not so fast Yugi, you forgot my one card." Yugi stopped in his movement, seeing the sly smirk on her face as she flipped over her face down card. "The Quick-Play Spell Card: Flaming Inferno. This card can only be activated when a fire attribute type monster is on my side of the field. Chimera may be a beast type, but his attribute is that of flames. Not only does he get powered up by my fire by 200, but it also turns the land it is set onto that of the Wasteland. Making the field now 50 percent Wasteland." As she explained, Yugi could already picture how this was going to go down. Without the Forest or Dark Forest, his Mammoth ended up with the same attack and defense that it had originally. And between the extra 200 from the spell card and 500 from the field, the Chimera's attack was now 1500. Yugi could even imagine the forest area burning as the Chimera blasted fire from his mouth, roasting Yugi's monster in the process. Not only did he lose his monster, but now his Life Points were down to 1700.
"No way… how could I forget the face down card?" He blamed himself, he should have known that card was going to help her monster. He should have paid more attention to the card and not her army.
"I would have lost that round if I didn't have the card on me. Now, your turn Yugi."
"Ah! Right!" Yugi scurried to take a card from his deck and looked over his hand. There was only one good card in his hand, and that was Dark Dragon, with 1500 Attack. "I summon Dark Dragon onto the field!" With it being on the Mountains, it was only a ten percent increase in attack, with a total of 1,650. However, it was the strongest monster he had at the moment.
"My, a dangerous card." The Nurse commented. "Looks like all I can do for now is defend." she placed a monster in defense, but the Dragon quickly went through that monster as if it were nothing. Once again, Yugi felt he had a huge advantage over the Nurse, but just like before that luck didn't last long. Monster after Monster, spell by spell and trap after another, the Nurse was ruthless. She was able to take down Yugi's strategies easily. He was reduced from 1700 Life Points to 1015, then 950, even to 800. Even though Yugi was able to bring her down to 1800, it was only a scratch compared to what she gave him. With each turn, Yugi became more anxious, his body shook as he was overwhelmed by the Nurse's incredible power. He couldn't believe how skilled she was at this game, while Yugi was just a beginner. Of course there would be a disadvantage. But he couldn't back down, he had to push forward and hope for a miracle.
Finally, it was the final turn, the one to determine if Yugi would survive or lose. For this turn, the Nurse summoned another monster that was a goddess. When Yugi looked at it, he was pretty surprised because it didn't seem as powerful. "Goddess of Whim?" Yugi looked at the leaf like a goddess and was confused. She only had an attack of 950, and she was on the forest field, which only had three percent remaining, bringing her to a total of 979 attack, but it was still considered weak even with the power field boost.
"Are you nervous, Yugi?" The Nurse asked with such a terrifying smile.
Yugi blushed again, staring at her as his eyes wavered. "Ummm…. Please don't tease me." Yugi begged as he was a bit uncomfortable in this situation. However, he figured he could at least win this one. With her attack not even 1000, Yugi could use any card in order to beat this one and hopefully get another advantage. However, he had to play smart this time, so he looked at his hand after drawing. Since the field was now 50 percent, if he could find one of his monsters that got a power up from that side of the field, it would surely do enough damage. Thankfully, he had one card in his hand for that. "Alright, this turn is mine! I play Black Scorpion in Attack Mode, putting him on the Wasteland Field." Yugi stated. Even though his Monster had 1000 attack points, thanks to the field now containing half of Wasteland, it gained an extra 500 attack, bringing it up to 1500. Definitely enough to bring out a huge chunk from the Nurse's Life Points. Yugi was being cautious as well, since she didn't have any spell or trap cards, he could take down the monster without having to worry about any barriers. "Black Scorpion will stab Goddess of Whim with a deadly poison attack!" Yugi regained some confidence, believing he had won.
However, the Nurse still smiled. "Not so fast, Yugi. I still have one trick up my sleeve." She stated. This caused the high schooler to blink. What did she mean? She didn't have any other cards on the field. Unless… "I activate Goddess of Whim's special effect!" She took out a small coin from her pocket, holding it for him to see. "I can flip a coin and call it heads or tails in the air. If I get it wrong, my goddess will lose half of her attack. However, should I call it right, that attack doubles." So that's why she placed that card in Attack Mode. Yugi forgot that some cards have special effects that can be used against the opponent. He didn't think to believe Goddess of Whim had one. "Now then, I'll call heads." The Nurse stated as she flipped the coin in the air, watching it spin around. Yugi held his breath, hoping that luck was on his side as he watched the coin land on the table. The smile on the Nurse's face widened as it landed on her prediction. "Goddess of Whim's attack points double, bringing her up to 1,958 attack points. Destroying your Black Scorpion and winning me the game."
Yugi couldn't believe it, he actually lost to the school's Nurse. She was pretty strong and had a good balance of spell and monster effects to send him packing. Even though he lost, Yugi had to admit that he was impressed. "You're amazing, Sensei. I can't believe you beat me so easily."
The Nurse giggled lightheartedly as she looked at her student. "Duel Monsters requires you to have a good balance of monsters, spell and trap cards. However, make sure to know what kind of effects your monsters can have on their own or when equipped to other cards." She gave him a solid piece of advice. Yugi nodded, realizing he would have to change up his deck now. As he was about to compliment her more, Yugi heard the bell ringing which indicated that students had five minutes to get to the next class. "Woah, we've been dueling for way too long! Sorry Sensei, I have to go." Yugi stated as he went to gather his cards and to take care of the map.
"Hold on." the Nurse bent over, placing her hand on top of Yugi's. He was caught off guard, looking into those green eyes of hers as her lipstick smile stuck with him. "As a reward for my victory… I'll be taking this card." She held up one of Yugi's most powerful monsters that he had in his deck currently.
"No way! Neon Knight is one of my best cards…" Yugi tried to plead.
However, the Nurse claimed the card and walked back over to her desk. "Hurry up or you will be late to class." The Nurse advised.
"Please give it back." Yugi begged as he hurried to gather everything he needed and placed it in his bag again.
"Then how about this, when you challenge me again and if you win, I'll give it back to you." She promised.
He looked over at her, hopefulness in his eyes again. "Really? You promise to return it, right?"
She nods. "Only under those conditions. Now run along, your work should come first."
"Ah! R-right!" Yugi then hurried to the door and walked out. "Later, Sensei." He then made a mad rush down the hall to get to his next class before he was late. He was still pretty upset about having one of his best cards taken away, but the Nurse seemed like she would be able to return it. Hopefully she would hold onto it and take good care of it until he could challenge her again. Though Yugi would have to make a lot of modifications to ensure he had a better chance of winning. For now though, he had to focus on getting to his third to last class of the day.
When Yugi closed the door behind him, the Nurse only stared at the entrance for a while, giggling to herself. Once Yugi was far enough away, she turned towards the curtains and spoke in a more masculian but elegant voice. "You went through all of the trouble to bring me here from England, just so I could fight such an amaterur?" Behind those curtains, a small portable screen was seen standing up, and on the video was a live feed of Seto Kaiba, who watched the whole thing but kept quiet. The CEO chuckled as he was not the only surprise this room had. The Nurse closed her eyes, going limp as she gently laid on the floor. The light catching the strands of strings connecting her joints to an old man standing beside the puppet. He had fluffy white hair and an upper mustache with the same color. He had piercing brown eyes and a pink tinted monocle on his left side. He was dressed up very classy with a brown colored suit that had a tail in the back, white pants and black dress shoes. Along with a white undershirt and a red bow tie. Even though he spoke Japanese fluently, his voice had a tint of the British accent, since that was his origin.
As of now, the old man was a bit annoyed by the challenge that he had to face. "Why did you bring me here just to fight that boy? He has no comprehension of game tactics and acts like a newborn swimming for the first time. Try as he might, he can not swim and he sunk heavily with such a weak deck as well. Frankly, I am insulted that you brought me here from my home just to challenge him. I didn't even get to use one of my puppets, just this woman here." He notes as he laid the Nurse down on the bed, knowing it would be a while still before she woke up.
Kaiba watched and listened from his office. He could not see the duel in person himself, as he was very busy and didn't want to risk blowing the cover of the one he sent. But, he still looked on to see the progress, and even though he was just as disappointed, he knew the reason why the Duel went the way it did. "The Yugi that you faced was not the one that you had to defeat. This boy has another face, one where if the stakes are raised high enough, will be brought out."
The old man raised a brow, staring at Kaiba in disbelief, but he listened. "So, you're saying that this was just a warm up?"
"Call it what you will, but until that other Yugi comes out, then you will have a challenge. You may have seen what he could do, but it is only the surface." Kaiba assured. "I wouldn't have called you here if I didn't think it needed the work of the Game Master." Seto's eyes narrowed, as he recalled the defeat he had from the hands of that Yugi. The one that had far more skills and composure than the one he just witnessed. "The other Yugi has a face of an unbeatable game master. You may not have seen in it this duel, but if you want to bring it out… you will have to raise the stakes, give him a reason to fight for his life."
The Game Master raised his bushy brow, staring at his boss. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
"Whatever you must." Seto stated. "I will give you free reign on how you wish to approach this. Just make sure that I will be observing when the time comes for your rematch."
"And how will I know if I summon this 'other Yugi' as you call him?"
Kaiba responded with a smile. "Trust me, you will know. And when that happens, you must give it your all as one of the Kaiba Corperation's proud Game Masters. Only you, Baron Ridley Sheldan, will be able to unmask him for who he truly is. At that point, you may hold nothing back. This is a direct order."
The Englishman bowed in respect, having no choice but to follow that order that was given. "As you wish, Master Kaiba."
The rest of the day seemed to have gone by pretty smoothly for the most part. Yugi was still baffled by the Duel Monsters challenge that was given to him by the school's Nurse, and was still a bit salty about losing his best Monster Card. However, he had to admit it was the most fun he had during that week of school. He also hoped to get his Neon Knight back soon, once he upgraded his deck. He did look it over during the other breaks and added in a few extra spell cards and exchanged some monsters for others. Though he wasn't quite sure if it was near perfect enough to counter all of her strategies. Still, Yugi saw it as an improvement, so that was progress according to him.
The rest of the classes went by smoothly and before Yugi knew it, the end of the school day was finally over. Thankfully, Yugi didn't have to participate in cleaning up after school, which meant he had some free time. Which was perfect because he wanted to go somewhere and check something specific out. Yugi had rushed to his locker, gathering his things and putting on his home sneakers. As he was just about ready to head out, his eyes caught Anzu out of the corners. He smiled, seeing the brunette gathering her supplies as well. She looked over, seeing her childhood friend and smiled. "Ah, Yugi."
"Hey Anzu!" Yugi walked over to her, holding his backpack straps as he headed out of the school with her. "Hey, can I ask to borrow your notes from Math?"
"Which ones?" Anzu asked as she looked down at Yugi.
"The ones from chapter 4.5. I am having trouble trying to figure out how to get the fractions into the equations." Yugi sighed. "This is why Algebra is not my strong suit."
"Well, everyone has a good class and a bad one. At least you don't struggle in History." Anzu noted as they exited the building.
Yugi had his hands behind his back and he smiled up at her. "It's all thanks to my Grandpa. If I didn't listen to any of his stories and his teachings about ancient civilizations, I probably would have fallen behind long ago." He joked. Though it was true in more than one regard.
Anzu smiled and laughed along with him. "Hey Yugi, how about we walk back to your place together?" She asked. "It has been a while, and I wanted to see what new games you got." Yugi's eyes sparkled, as he was compelled to say yes. It had been a while since it had just been him and Anzu at his place. He loved it when she was over there, since they would spend hours on end going through all of the games that his store had to offer. Like in the olden days when they were in high school. However, Yugi would have to decline since he had something more important to do.
"Sorry, Anzu. I'll have to cancel. I have to do something." Yugi told her.
She stared at him in a baffled expression "Really?" Even she was surprised that Yugi would pass up an offer to hang out together at his place. "Wait, you aren't going to the gaming center again, are you?" She raised a brow. "I know you put a lot of money into games, but think of your poor grandfather."
Yugi smiled nervously, realizing that he had been figured out. "I-it's not like that. I just want to see if they have the new fighter game out." He explained to her. "I heard it was supposed to be a virtual battle system for playing Duel Monsters, and I wanted to try my luck with it."
Anzu blinked at his explanation. "A virtual Duel Monsters system?" She asked.
Yugi nods. "It's only a prototype, but I figured this would be a great way to practice my Dueling skills!" He explained, wanting to try out his deck and come up with new strategies to win against his opponents. If he could manage to defeat a computer, he would surely have no trouble beating real life people.
"I'm surprised you are trying so hard to get into Duel Monsters. Honestly, it's been awhile since I've seen you been so into a certain game." Anzu chuckled, having her own fun. "Well, I have no desire to go to the game center, so have fun."
"Thanks Anzu! See you tomorrow!" Yugi waved goodbye before running off. He ran as fast as he could, holding onto his backpack straps as he headed for his destination. "I really hope that the new Dueling Game is installed. I've been waiting all week for this!" Yugi said to himself as he hurried to the gaming center, pumped up for hopefully his first crack at the new game. It took him roughly ten minutes just to get there, since there was hardly any traffic. He could hardly keep his excitement contained as he entered through the doors, being reminded of the first time he came here with everyone on that Sunday. It seemed so long ago, and yet not much time had passed. Yugi walked through the floors, looking for the game that should be here. If it was, Yugi promised himself only one round just to test out his deck against the machine. One Duel, and no matter if he won or lost, he would end it there. He had to make sure to be home at a decent time after all, or his Grandfather would get worried.
However, as Yugi looked around, he couldn't seem to find the machine that was advertised. "Huh? Where is it?" Yugi asked as he looked around. He saw many other young teens and kids playing their arcade games, but none of them were Duel Monsters related. "I wonder if it isn't here yet." Yugi wondered out loud. They did say the game would be installed this week, but didn't mention when. Yugi came to the arcade on Monday and Tuesday, and there was no Duel Monsters game, but he really hoped it would be today. Unfortunately, it seemed it was too early once again. Yugi grew disappointed, for he was really looking forward to playing said game. Looks like he would just have to come back tomorrow. Before he was about to leave, a tall man approached him.
"Excuse me, sir? Are you looking for something?" Yugi looked up at the man, who had a light black haircut in the shape of a bob, with shaved hair on the underside of the back of his head. He had round rim glasses, a light blue t-shirt with light brown dress pants and a neon green apron. When the high schooler saw him, he knew this man was a worker. He must have noticed Yugi looking around the place and had to come over to ask.
Even though he was pretty sure that it wasn't here, it couldn't hurt to ask the worker just to confirm. "Uh… I was wondering if the new Duel Monsters game came in." He admitted with a bashful smile.
However, the worker grinned at Yugi as he pointed off in a direction. "Oh, that. It's right over this way. You're the first person today to have asked for it."
Yugi stepped forward, his hope once again rising as he looked over at the man. "Really?! I'm the first one to play it?!" That made it all the more exciting. The worker nodded, stopping by an open doorway as he waited for Yugi.
"Follow me, sir." The man told him as he walked through the hall. Yugi followed behind, as they were going down the hallway. Yugi muttered to himself how lucky he was, to be the first player to get his hands on the new system to test out his Dueling skills. As he was following the guy, he noticed though that they were going down a bunch of stairs, leading lower and lower into the building. Yugi didn't understand why they were going so deep into the basement at first. He wondered if the worker must have misheard him. But he didn't want to be rude, so he kept quiet as they were at the first floor of the building in the basement. Yugi could remember glimpses of this place back when he was trying to track down that watch thief. He shuddered, as he remembered how beaten up he got and the black out in which he could not recall a good portion of what became of the thief nor how he was able to get the D-Shock back. Despite the painful memories, Yugi still remained silent. He followed the worker as they passed by the boiler room, where the high schooler looked at the doors with tiny eyes. Thankfully, the arcade worker passed by that room, going further which made Yugi feel slightly better. They walked a bit more, until they reached the door at the very end that said "Storage".
Yugi was still confused. Why bring him here? "Uh... if you don't mind me asking… why are we down here?" Yugi had to ask as he grew more and more nervous just being down here with no context.
The worker still bore a smile as he explained. "Well, since the machine is a prototype, we haven't really set it up on the main levels. We did bring it down here since it will take up a lot of power." Yugi believed some bits of it. After all, it was designed by Kaiba Corporation, and they were known for going all out on their machines and devices. Even though Yugi was still skeptical about this ordeal, he still had the idea of himself playing Duel Monsters against that computer. So no matter what, he would go inside and test out his deck. The employee opened the double metal doors of the room, waiting for Yugi to enter. The poor high schooler was so blinded by his desires, he did not see the obvious trap that was waiting for him. He walked in, looking around the dark room as he tried to search for something.
"Uh… is there a light switch nearby?" Yugi asked, turning around to see if the employee could help him out. But by the time he managed to turn, the worker was shutting the door, letting what little light there was be shut out. The moment that Yugi was in complete darkness, he began to panic. "W-what!?" He gasped, running over to the door to open it. His arms grabbed the handles, moving them but they wouldn't budge. Yugi tried again, but he still had no luck no matter how many times he jiggled and forced the handles to lift up. He grew scared once again, pounding at the door and screaming at anyone that was listening. "Open the door! What is going on here?! Let me out!" He shouted as loudly as he could, hoping that someone would be able to hear him. Immediately, alarm bells were ringing in his head. Yugi knew that this was a terrible idea! He should have figured something was wrong from the start as he was coming down here. Why did his love for games have to be his weakness? He kept punching the door with his tiny than average fists, yelling as loudly as he could. He was certain that it wouldn't work, no matter how effective it was. But still, he had to keep trying no matter how helpless he seemed. It was at such a moment Yugi had wished that he had been with Anzu or even Jounouchi at this point. They wouldn't have let something like this happen.
Soon enough, Yugi was able to hear a voice call to him. One he was all too familiar with. "Yugi dear, let's continue our game." That feminine, seductive voice. Yugi's eyes wavered as he believed it to have been the school's Nurse. It couldn't be though. Why was she here? Surely she couldn't have been the one behind all of this? After all, she loved her students!
"Sen...sei?" Yugi failed to even form the word properly. He soon had to shield his eyes as the room became illuminated. He covered his face with his arms, being caught off guard by the sudden blinding sensation. When he had finally adjusted to the brightness, he looked up only to be met by a hollowed out wooden face. The small high schooler jumped out of fear, his back hitting the door as he stared off against such a lifeless husk. Once he regained himself, he was able to get a closer look, seeing that the being was just a marionette hanging up from strings, made out of solid oak. Of course, he wasn't the only one. Yugi looked around, seeing many other dolls and puppets hanging from the ceiling, surrounding the walls with the same emotionless, dull features.
Now Yugi was even more terrified, this was all nightmare fuel to him. His eyes landed on the center of the room and saw a table with two chairs on either side. On one chair, sat a large figure that Yugi could hardly see. He noticed though that the figure was holding something in their hand as the female voice rang out to him. "You want your Neon Knight card back, right Yugi?" The female laughter soon grew more lower, revealing the voice of an older man. The lights soon adjusted and that was when Yugi saw for himself who was talking. A guy with white fluffy hair and a monocle sitting at the table, holding the card the school Nurse took from him. "Now then, come over and show me a shadow game." The man told him.
As scared as Yugi was, he was certain that there was no way out of this. He had to go over to this strange man and see what was happening. His whole body shook with each step he took, but he knew he couldn't go back. Once he was by the table, he slowly took a seat across from the weird fellow. Yugi could feel his eyes wavering, his heart racing and his face sweating. When he was much closer, he could get a better look at the guy. He didn't seem Japanese, and based on his accent Yugi guessed he must have been British. He dressed very well though, and in his hand was a small porcelain doll of a girl with curly blond hair, sapphire eyes and a pink frilly victorian dress. At least there was one figure in this room that didn't look disturbing.
"Welcome Yugi Mutou to the Doll Mansion. Well, not quite a mansion but it will do for our Duel." The man stated.
"Duel?" Yugi repeated. Did he have to play Duel Monsters with this guy? That would explain the set up and even the deck… but why here and now?
"Before we get started, allow me to settle down your curiosity. I am certain you are baffled by what is going on, so I will give you a spoonful of information. I am Baron Ridley Sheldan, a doll enthusiastic as I am sure you are aware by now, judging by the scenery." Ridley opened his free arm out to show off his doll collection. Yugi took a good look around the room once again, but he was still creeped out by the many puppets that were just strung up. The Baron noticed how uncomfortable Yugi was as he sat awkwardly in his seat. "Do the dolls displease you?"
"To be honest, all of these hollow eyes looking at me creep me out." Yugi admitted as he tried not to look too hard at some of them.
"I figured it would be best if we had an audience. After all, it has been a while since I Duled against a worthy opponent."
"Worthy opponent?" Yugi repeated, not quite sure what the Baron meant by that.
"I have heard that you become a different person when you take these games seriously. And let me assure you, that if you lose, a terrible fate shall await you." The Baron warned. "Now then, if you win, I will give you back your Neon Knight. So, let us get to it. Draw your cards, Yugi!" The Baron ordered. Yugi had no choice but to comply, as upsetting as it was. He still had so many questions and his fears were rising, but if winning this game would set him free, he had to do all he could. "Very good, now, if you don't mind, I will be going first." Baron stated as he took out a card and placed it on the field. "I summon Ghostrick Doll in Defense. I'll place her on the Dark Forest field, which covers ten percent of the matt."
Yugi looked at the cute pink haired girl, she was a low level but had 1200 Defense points. Well, 1,320 with the added field power bonus. "Starting off with a Defense monster…" He noted. It wasn't that high of a Defense, but at the moment Yugi didn't have anything in his hands that could defeat it.
"Now, show me your true power!" The Baron demanded as he finished his turn.
Yugi had to be careful, he wasn't sure what kind of surprises this deck had or what strategies he had up his sleeve. Yugi reached to his deck, drawing his card. He was relieved to see for himself that he had a good monster! "Alright! I summon Silver Fang in Attack mode and place him in the Forest area!" Yugi claimed, gaining some confidence as he set the silver wolf into attack. At first, it had only 1200 attack points, but with the fifteen percent of the forest area, he had 1,380 in total now. Just enough to destroy that monster. "Silver Fang will attack your defense position monster!" Yugi declared, as he watched his own monster manage to defeat one of the Baron's. For a split second, it felt like he managed to get ahead, but he still had a long way to go.
"Hmmm… not bad." The Baron admitted. "You seem to have a better handle this time around. But, it is far too soon to celebrate. My turn, I draw." Baron stated as he placed a card on the field. "I summon Alice the Wandering Doll in Defense mode, placing her in the Dark Forest area. Then I will set one card face down and end my turn."
Yugi looked at the monster that the Baron set. A female doll that has only 1,100 Defense points after the field boost. Why would he play such a weak card in Defense mode? Maybe he was on the defensive because Yugi had a good monster with an amazing attack? Or… was there something else to this card? Whatever the case, Yugi had to do what he could in order to win. He didn't want to be in this place any longer than he had to, so he needed to do all he could to end this match quickly. "I'll attack your doll with Silver Fang again!" Yugi Declared, as his monster rushed towards the doll.
It was at this point that the Baron smiled as his eyes narrowed. "You fool! Alice's special effect activates!"
"Special effect?!" Yugi gasped, picturing Silver Fang unable to fully destroy the doll, as Alice pushed him away.
"Alice the Wandering Doll can not be destroyed by battle. On top of that, when she is selected as an attack target, I can inflict 500 points of damage to your Life Points!" He laughed in triumph. As if to prove his point, Yugi suddenly felt himself being shocked from his chair, not too badly but enough to make his body tingle in a pretty painful manner. He cried out as the sensation was too much for him to handle. He fell out of his seat, landing face first on the ground. He felt very weak and vulnerable, he wasn't so sure if he could defeat this Baron on his own. Yugi shuddered, feeling his body growing cold for a split second. Right as his Millenium Puzzle began to glow, he felt his body once again getting back up with more determination than ever before.
"This is a Shadow Game, dear Yugi. If you lose your Life Points, you feel the same pain. If you have any hope of surviving, take this Duel seriously!" Baron Ridley stated as he grew more stern with his tone. Eventually, the young high schooler managed to pick himself up. But, he was not the same as before.
"That's true." 'Yugi' admitted. His voice deepen, as his eyes changed to a dark magenta while his forehead glowed with the eye of his Millennium Puzzle for a moment before disappearing. The Baron could sense something was already a miss before 'Yugi' turned to face him, with a new face full of confidence and skill. "You think that you can win by being protective? I will defeat you, Baron Sheldan, and it will be you who suffers this Shadow Game."
The Englishman stared at the one in front of him, suddenly getting a chill up his spine as he looked over the new version of the timid boy before. 'He's completely changed! Like he's become a different person than before! Could this be the other Yugi that Master Kaiba was talking about?' He thought to himself, becoming a bit worried as he wondered what this version had in store. 'Yugi' sat back at his chair and looked over the cards that were still in his hand. He only had 1500 Life Points now, but if he kept at it, he could figure something out. For now, best to keep up a strong attack. "I summon Koumori Dragon in Attack mode, placing him on the mountain field, giving him a ten percent increase in his power." 'Yugi' stated, as his dragon went from 1500 Attack Points to 1,650. "Then, I shall set one card in the spell zone, and end my turn."
The Baron grunted, realizing that 'Yugi' was getting serious, so he had to as well. "My turn, I draw!" He looked at his hand and smiled, gathering all the cards he needed for his victory. "I will place two cards face down in the spell and trap card zones. Next, I will summon Doll Part Blue in Defense Mode, in the Dark Forest area. Turn over." The monster that was summoned was a floating doll head with a blue aura, however, only with the boost it had zero attack and defense points since that was what it started out with.
'A monster with zero Defense points?' 'Yugi' wondered 'He's still playing it safe? But, he must be plotting something with that Doll Part. Surely it must have a special effect just like the Alice one. I can't attack the other monster without taking out a chunk of my Life Points. Therefore, I should attack the Doll Part as fast as I can.' That was his strategy. It was a big risk, but he also didn't want to keep his army growing, and he needed an attack target. He drew a card from his deck, then prepared for battle. "Silver Fang! Attack The Doll Part Blue!" Yugi ordered, as the illusion of the wolf devoured the ceramic doll head. Sure, there was no damage dealt to the opponent, but at least that was one monster dealt with. That was, until the Baron smiled.
"You fool! I wanted you to attack my Doll Monster! I reveal one of my face down!" The Baron flipped over his middle card, showing off a purple colored card. "The trap card: Necro Dollmeister. When a doll part monster I control is destroyed, I can special summon two Doll Part monsters from my deck in Attack Position. I summon Doll Part Pink and Doll Part Gold!" With that said, he summoned a body of a female doll with a pink aura and doll arms with a golden aura around them. Even though they were in Attack position that had zero points, The Baron smiled. "Then I will set a card face down. Turn over. Now then, come at me with all you got!" The Baron stated.
'Yugi' smirked while drawing his card and smiled. "I see, so no matter what I do, you will just keep summoning more doll parts." He noted as he gently held one of the Duel Monster cards on the far left.
The Baron chuckled. "With my growing Doll army, you will not be able to get to me. And you can not even attack Alice or destroy her."
"You're correct. While she can not be defeated by battle, that doesn't mean I can not officially attack it."
"What?!" The Baron gasped, wondering what 'Yugi' was referring to.
"I flip my face down, Stop Defense!" 'Yugi' called out. "All Defensive Positioning monsters on your side of the field will flip to Attack!"
"My Alice Doll!" The Baron was worried, for even though she would not be destroyed by battle, he knew where this was going.
"You say that your Alice doll can not be destroyed by battle… however, that doesn't mean you can't take any damage! Sure, I will take some as well, but yours will be far greater! Koumori Dragon, Attack Alice Doll!" 'Yugi' ordered, making the dragon go towards her, breathing fire at the female puppet. Even though she would not be destroyed by the dragon, Baron Sheldan would still take damage to his Life Points. Sure, 'Yugi' took another 500 damage to his own life, which made him have 1,000 now. However, now the Baron was down to 680. He felt the intense fire of the dragon, making his skin feel hot as 'Yugi' was dealt with another shock to his chair. But he took the pain, because now he was in the lead.
The Baron coughed, feeling the strange effects of the Shadow Game as he tried to get himself back up on his chair. "Damn you! Are you okay, Fiona?" The Baron asked, looking over at his bisque doll in his hands. The illusionary flames caused the figure to have fire burn marks on her clothes, hair and even porcelain skin. When Ridley saw that, his eyes wavered in sadness as he saw how hurt his child was. "Fiona!" He then glared at 'Yugi' with intense hatred. "How dare you burn my dear daughter?!"
While 'Yugi' didn't understand what was happening, or what the relationship was between the Baron and his doll, he didn't care and didn't want to. So, he just focused on the Duel. All he had to do now was attack one of the remaining Doll parts, and he could win. He didn't want to risk taking out Alice again, just to be safe. "Now then, I will have Silver Fang attack the Doll Part Pink to win me this Duel!" 'Yugi' smiled in triumph, as he believed he had this Duel wrapped up in the bag now.
However, the Barron growled as he flipped over one of his face down cards. "I reveal my face down, Negate Attack! None of your monsters can attack for the rest of the turn, ending the battle phase!"
Seeing that card, 'Yugi' scoffed in annoyance. And just when he was about to finish this Duel as well. Luckily, he still had one trick up his sleeve, but it all depended on what the Baron was going to do for his Main Phase. "I set two cards face down, then end my turn." It was all 'Yugi' could do at this point. Hopefully, depending on the next turn, he would still win this.
"My turn, I draw." The Baron stated as he looked over his cards. "Yugi, I must admit, I am impressed. You brought my Life Points down a great number in just one turn. Even though it costs you, you best be careful. For such a sacrifice could be your end! And to prove it, I will reveal my face down card! The Spell Card: Marionette Burial! This card can only be activated when Alice the Wandering Doll is on the field. I will get rid of the two Doll Parts on my side of the field, and send a Doll Part red to the graveyard, to specially summon my most powerful monster! Doll Chimera!" That was when the Baron summoned a card on the dark forest field. An amalgamation of a strange position looking doll that was dirty and just as disturbing. "Doll Chimera gains 400 Attack and Defense points for each Doll Part in the graveyard. On top of that, she gains an extra ten percent to her attack. Bringing her up to 1,760." The Baron explained, as he was the one that now had the most powerful card on the field, easily able to defeat 'Yugi's' dragon.
The young high schooler glared at the older man, as he realized how much of an advantage he had now. "Now then, let's get your wolf off of the field! Doll Chimera, attack 'Yugi's' Silver Fang!" The Baron ordered, as his own monster was about to deal a bit more damage to 'Yugi', and hopefully be the one to get him in the lead. Or so he thought.
'Yugi' chuckled as he smiled over at the Baron. "Too bad, you had a good monster as well. However, I had a feeling that was what you were using those Doll Parts for!"
"What are you plotting?!" The Baron demanded to know.
That was when 'Yugi' flipped over one of his face down cards. "I activate the Spell Card: Rebellion! This card can only be activated during the Battle Phase. I can target one monster you control and keep it in my possession until the end of the Phase! And I chose your Alice the Wandering Doll! Keeping her in Defense position!" Right at that moment, the effect monster was on 'Yugi's' field now. Though she was in Defense position, and even though the Baron would take 500 life points for himself, he would still have a chance.
"Ha, you may have taken control of my Monster, and made me lose 500 Life Points, but I still have enough to turn this around!" The Baron assured as he raised up the doll in his hand. He couldn't call off the attack now, but at least it wouldn't kill him.
"Not for long! I flip over my other Spell Card: United We Stand!"
"Two Spell Cards?!" The Baron didn't predict that 'Yugi' would use two of the cards he had in the same round.
'Yugi' smiled, knowing this would be the finishing move. "I can equip this card to one monster, and I chose Alice the Wandering Doll. For each monster on my side of the field, she will gain 800 Attack and Defense points! And since there are three on my side, she gets a total of 3,780!"
"That means…" The Baron gasped, knowing that he could not stop his attack, and in turn would lose. With such a high defense, he would not be able to do anything but accept defeat as his Life Points counter reached zero.
"Game over. Too bad, Baron Sheldan." 'Yugi' stated as he watched the Baron be knocked to the ground as he was defeated. He glared at the boy, knowing he lost his chance and disappointed his master. But there was no reason for him to continue, he lost the game fair and square. "Now then, I would like to get out of here, if you don't mind."
The Baron got up, holding his precious Fiona who was a bit cracked now from the fall. He sighed, snapping his fingers as the lights were fully turned on rather than an eerie darkness with just a center lighting. As he looked around, 'Yugi' noticed how less disturbing the place seemed. "The door should be open by now." The Baron stated. "Good game, Yugi Mutou." As much as Yugi wanted to say the same, after what the Baron had put him through, he only stared at him to show he was holding a bit of a grudge. The Baron noticed this, and sighed. "I get why you hate me, but I was told to do this. Personally, I didn't want to because I didn't think you were worthy of the challenge. You didn't seem like someone with skill."
Upon hearing that, 'Yugi' smiled sarcastically. "Well, looks like you were quite disappointed."
"On the contrary. This is the first time in twenty years I lost in such a battle of wits." The Baron smiled, dusting himself and his doll.
"In that case, care to tell me who it was that made you set all of this up?" That was all 'Yugi' wanted to know, especially because he wanted to go to whoever it was and deal with them himself.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. "I'm afraid I can not say. However, I will warn you that there are three others like me. We are called Game Masters. I can not say if there will be more coming your way, but it is best to stay alert." That was all Baron Sheldan would say. Cryptic as hell, but at least this meant that 'Yugi's' problems were only beginning. Hopefully he would be able to recognize these Game Masters when he meets them. Though for what it was worth, he did somewhat enjoy the Duel between Baron Ridley Sheldan, too bad it wasn't under better circumstances.
"So, you lost to Yugi Mutou?" It was the first question that Kaiba had asked as Baron Ridley Sheldan walked into his office. He saw the whole Duel via live stream through a small camera in one of the dolls. He watched every second of the Duel, including the message the Baron gave to Yugi at the end. By the time the Englishman had gotten back to Kaiba's main office, it had grown much darker out and began to rain. The CEO himself was standing and looking out the large window, watching the droplets roll down on the glass. When his secretary told him that Sheldan came back, he called him to his room immediately. He waited for Sheldan's report, even though Kaiba already knew what he was going to say.
The Baron bowed as he held his burnt and cracked up Fiona close to his chest. "Please forgive me, Master Kaiba. He was far more skilled than I gave him credit for. I did not take your warning and was completely off guard. Just as I thought it would be an easy win, his attitude changed and he managed to turn everything against me." He shuddered, fearful of what his punishment would be now that he was dubbed a failure in the eyes of Seto Kaiba himself. His job as a Game Master was to upload the legacy of the Kaiba family and ensure that they represented what the company valued. Since he lost to the match Kaiba wanted to set up, no doubt there would be some repercussions. However, he had to save his own skin if there was still a chance. "Please forgive me Master, I can try again! Revise my deck or try another game!"
Kaiba stared at the stormy sky, his blue eyes transfixed on the water coming from the clouds. He listened to what the Baron had to say, but though he did not turn to face him, he still spoke. "That won't be necessary. You have done well, Ridley Sheldan." Seto assured in a monotone voice.
The Englishman looked up at his Master, confused by his words. He wasn't angry? Even though he lost to Yugi? "M-Master Kaiba? I failed you though didn't-"
"I ordered you to show off the Other Yugi, I never said you had to win that Duel." Kaiba elaborated. "As enjoyable as it would have been to see him struggle under you, if he had lost to you, it wouldn't have been any fun." The smirk still played on Kaiba's face as he recalled how the Other Yugi was able to overcome the strategies and use them against the Baron. Truly a force to be reckoned with, and one Kaiba was determined to experiment more with. "Regardless, your duty has been fulfilled. I will arrange for a flight to take you back home first thing in the morning. I'll call you from your hotel with the details."
The Baron nodded, bowing to Kaiba again. "I-If I may ask though, Master Kaiba, what are you planning for Yugi Mutou?" Even though Ridley was safe from Kaiba's wrath, he couldn't help but be curious about the plans that he had for this Yugi character.
Kaiba responded with a slight chuckle. "I have no interest in eliminating him so soon. I just want to test how skilled and resourceful he is. Which is why I will send in my second Game Master. Let us see how Yugi fairs when it comes to luck rather than skill."
So Kaiba was infatuated with this Yugi character. No wonder he was putting the Game Masters at this young kid. He seemed pretty good, Sheldan can vouch for that, but can he manage to overcome the other three? Each one more powerful than the last? It was too soon for the Baron to assume. However, he knew one thing for certain. If Kaiba was going this far just to test this high schooler, then the CEO must have taken up a fascination with the young boy. This was the first time the Baron heard about his Master taking interest in someone else. It would seem that he was the challenge Seto was craving for. With that answer, Ridley Sheldan bowed in respect and sought his way out. He would have to stay in Japan for the night, but at least by morning he would be on his way home. He walked out, heading on the streets in the rain as he was getting soaked. He laughed as he walked away from Kaiba's manor. "Heh, An Englishman who has no umbrella walking in the rain. Talk about pitiful." He mused to himself, as he held his blond doll in both arms. "Don't worry, Fiona. I'll get you touched up once we arrive home." He promised.
The doll didn't say anything, just gave him the stare of those blue eyes. He didn't mind, he knew what she was thinking. At least he still had her, so he walked to the hotel. Kaiba watched the first Game Masters leave. He lost the Duel with Yugi, but that was just one of the four that were the best he had. Which meant that Yugi's troubles with Kaiba were only beginning.
It was morning once again for everyone at Domino High School. Yugi had brought along the Duel Monsters to spend some time with everyone during their break. Even though there was a small fiasco that happened at the arcade yesterday, Yugi wouldn't let that get to him. He didn't know all the details, since he once again blacked out during the important bits. Even so, he seemed to have gotten out of that situation and he for one is not complaining. He wasn't sure what happened to that strange Englishman or how he managed to get back home without remembering walking there. Yugi, though, figured it was best not to question it too much. He was safe and he was grateful for that.
So, he was focusing his attention on the Duel he was having. This time, Miho was his opponent, which meant the battle ended much quicker than the one he had with Cosmo yesterday. Yugi chuckled as he smiled, holding up his cards with one hand while his other rubbed the back of his head. "Looks like I win." He announced, beating Miho who complained about losing as she was a bit distraught about it.
"I can't believe I lost." She seemed sad for a moment, staring at Yugi. "You really are good at this game, Yugi-kun." The short student only blushed at her comment, laughing nervously as he was trying to be modest. Miho then smiled as her eyes lit up as she got an idea. "Alright, let's go one more round! And if you beat me this time, I'll give you a kiss on the cheek."
When she had announced the prize, Yugi, Jounouchi and even Honda were startled by her words. "A kiss?!" They repeated, then Honda and Jounouchi began to grab at Yugi, trying to drag him out of the seat.
"Hey, Yugi! Switch with me! Let me take a turn!" Honda demanded, as he was the one most determined to get the kiss from Miho.
"No way! I'm the expert here!" Yugi's attitude suddenly changed at the prize.
Anzu, however, was a bit annoyed by their behavior as she turned her attention to the ribbon girl. "Why would you say that, Miho?"
"Come on Anzu, it's only a kiss." Cosmo tried to reassure her. "It's not like she's harming anyone." Miho only giggled, getting her new hand ready as she had a sly smile on her face. She knew what she did, but she was enjoying the attention nonetheless. She only watched as the three boys were leaning in, making smooching faces as they tried to be closer to Miho. Even Jounouchi, who had no real attraction to the ditzy girl, wanted a bit of the action just for the heck of it.
Anzu was the one that had enough of this nonsense, becoming more angry as she grabbed some cards and slammed them in Yugi's face, causing him to stop his kissing lips as she glared at the boys. "Idiots! If you're that desperate for love, then kiss the game!" She turned on her heels and walked away. Everyone watched her go, as they were slightly terrified of her sudden outburst.
"What a scary kiss…" Cosmo commented.
"Looks like the only one Yugi can't beat is Anzu herself." Jounouchi added with a goofy smile. Everyone laughed along, joining in on the joke even Yugi himself. His blush increased in hue as he could not deny it. So much for getting that kiss, but at least he still had his games. Though they wouldn't give him the same amount of comfort, it was something, right? Well, whatever helped Yugi sleep at night. No harm in laughing it off.