SailorStar9: With Chapter 48 uploaded, I present Chapter 49 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimer: I own nothing expect the Safiastra and Ami's dueling deck.
Chapter 49: Black Magic of the Soul
"Pandora, if you cut your cards like that, you're just using them for your own needs." Yami Yuugi snapped. "If you continue the game like this, you'll feel the full anger of those cards. Give this game up right now to save yourself."
"Give up?" Pandora echoed. "Who will? Listen Yuugi, I'm a conjurer and you are merely the audience for my show; for the show I control. I will be this game's victor; meaning I will be the one to escape and survive. And the one who'll be chopped to mincemeat, is you, Yuugi."
"Only a fool blinded by his own greed would say such words." Yami Yuugi sighed. "Let's continue the game, Pandora."
On the surface...
"Just where did Yuugi disappear to?" Sugoroku wondered, looking around.
"Just like Jonouchi predicted, he must have been captured by the Ghouls." Anzu reasoned.
"Then, we have to find him without delay." Ami nodded.
"But where could he be?" Sugoroku looked at his granddaughter. "Where should we start looking?"
With Yami Yuugi and Pandora...
"My turn." Pandora took his turn. Yuugi has only 'Dark Magician' on the field. I can't allow him to direct attack me next turn. In that case... "'Mystic Tomato' in Defense Mode. Furthermore, I place a card face-down on the field. Turn over."
He only has a Monster in Defense Mode. Yami Yuugi thought. If I can Summon another Monster on my turn, I can finish this match.
Yuugi will certainly Summon a Monster. Pandora mused. At the moment, my 'Dark Magician' shall revive.
"My turn." Yami Yuugi took his turn. "I Summon 'Beta The Magnet Warrior'."
You fell for it. Pandora grinned. "Trap Card activate. 'Dark Renewal'. It offers a Summoned Monster." he used 'Mystic Tomato' and 'Beta The Magnet Warrior' as tribute. 'Dark Renewal' takes the soul of an enemy's Monster as well as one of my own Monster's soul. It then revives the 'Dark Magician's soul residing in my graveyard. Come forth, 'Dark Magician'." now there's two 'Dark Magicians' on the field. Now, the battle begins, Yuugi.
Monsters with the same Attack Points. Yami Yuugi pondered. Neither can directly attack each other. Therefore, we'll both have to use our Magic and Trap Cards to try and defeat our 'Black Magicians'. It's become a battle of wits. "In this turn, I'll place 2 set cards face-down on the field." he played his turn. "Turn over."
I know what you are up to, Yuugi. Pandora smirked. Whoever uses their 'Dark Magician' to their fullest... "Then, it's my turn." he took his turn. "I play two set cards. Over."
"It's my turn." Yami Yuugi took his turn. "I place two cards face-down. Over."
"My turn." Pandora played his turn. "Another set card face-down. Over."
"My turn." Yami Yuugi placed another card face-down.
"My turn." Pandora followed suit, setting another card. "It seems we both have 5 cards face-down on the field. In that case, I'll take the first strike. Magic Card: 'Mystical Guillotine'. Yuugi, this is the end of your 'Dark Magician'." he bragged, putting Yami Yuugi's 'Dark Magician' on the guillotine."
"In that case, Magic Card open." Yami Yuugi countered. "'Magical Hats'." he shielded 'Dark Magician' within one of the four hats, allowing the guillotine to chop one of the hats into half and rescuing 'Dark Magician'.
"Then, I'll open my second face-down card." Pandora played his hand. "'Thousand Knives'. Over there." he pinpointed the hat Yami Yuugi's 'Dark Magician' was hiding in.
"You saw through it?" Yami Yuugi smirked. "Well then, 'Cursebreaker'." he negated both 'Magical Hats' and 'Thousand Knives.
"'Dark Magician', attack." Pandora ordered.
Both 'Dark Magicians' took out each other in the resultant clash.
"Both 'Dark Magicians' have been demolished." both duelists chorused. "'Monster Reborn'." both players activated their third face-down card to revive their 'Dark Magicians'.
"You've fought against my 'Dark Magician' quite well." Yami Yuugi praised. "I praise you, Pandora. My turn." he drew a card. "Over. Pandora, your skills are quite good. If you're a duelist of this caliber, you shouldn't have fallen to this level so easily. Why is it you fall so low as to follow Marik and act as one of Ghoul's Rare Hunters?"
"Look at this face." Pandora removed his mask. "Up til now, I've been a professional magician for a number of years." he then related how he was demoralized after a failed escape trick and pushed away the one woman who always stood by his side, Catherine. It was then Marik appeared before him, promising that he would return Catherine's love to the dejected Pandora.
"Why don't you encourage your lover to trust and believe in you?" Yami Yuugi pressed. "Even now, it's not too late. Honor your girlfriend with your heart and soul."
"You're a kid, after all, aren't you?" Pandora snorted. "Your opinion is quite extreme. Trust isn't possible in anything like this. Thanks to Marik, Catherine will return to my side. Catherine is already waiting over there." he showed a feminine shadow behind a curtain. "Let us return to France and start over. Catherine, just let me get rid of Yuugi. Then, we can be together. And for that, I will end your life."
"Just like a duel, you have to trust each other." Yami Yuugi barked. "No matter what happens to me, I believe in my 'Dark Magician'. In this duel, whoever trusts in his own cards will determine the outcome. That's the key to victory."
"Yuugi, you're more naive than I thought." Pandora mocked. As expected, you're no doubt qualified to be called a 'Dark Magician' user. Although, you didn't forget, did you? Before this duel even started, I told you I was the real 'Dark Magician' user. In other words, I've made the preparations to control the magician' in my deck. And even more, it's flawless. "My turn. I set a card face-down on the field and end my turn."
"My turn." Yami Yuugi took his turn. "I place 2 set cards face-down. Turn over."
"I'm coming." Pandora laughed. "Magic Card: 'Beckon to the Dark'. The Magic Card 'Beckon on the Dark' will snatch one of the opponent's Monsters and drag them to the depths of darkness with a demon's claw. That's right, I'm referring to your 'Dark Magician'."
"You think I'll let you?" Yami Yuugi fired back. "Trap Card: 'Mystical Refpanel'. With this Trap Card, I control your Magic Card." he turned the 'Beckon on the Dark' onto Pandora's 'Dark Magician'.
"You fell for it, didn't you?" Pandora was unfazed. "That hand was merely a decoy to lure you into playing your Trap Card. My aim was this. This is a Trap Card that activates in response to another Trap Card: 'Nightmare's Chains'. Now your 'Dark Magician' can only wait on the sidelines as your death is acted out in front of him." he laughed, the Trap Card having bound Yami Yuugi's Dark Magician' onto a cross. "Have you prepared yourself well? Go, my servant, 'Dark Magician'. Direct attack the player. Now, my magic show has finally reached its climax. The moment your Life Points reaches zero, my task will be complete. As soon as you are met with despair, the show's curtain will drop. Yuugi, it's your last turn."
On the surface...
"If we just continue to randomly search the city like this, the kidnappers may do unspeakable things." Sugoroku pointed out.
"But if this keeps up, Yuugi will..." Anzu was worried.
"Mokuba?" Ami blinked, seeing the younger boy running towards them.
"Mokuba, it's terrible." Sugoroku stopped the boy. "Yuugi has been taken somewhere."
"It looks like he's been captured by someone." Anzu added.
"I know the location." Mokuba revealed. "I'm about to head there right now."
With Yami Yuugi and Pandora...
"I Summon 'Big Shield Gardna'." Yami Yuugi played his turn. "Defense Mode."
"You put up a wall Monster, huh?" Pandora noted. "I see. You're thinking as long as you have a wall Monster, I can't do anything to you. But that's all in vain. Yuugi, your life will end this turn. I hope you're prepared. Have you prepared yourself well? My turn. For the time being, I Summon one Monster. 'Doll of Demise'. And the Magic Card that will cause your death. The Field Magic: 'Ectoplasmer'. Of course, there is a price. This Magic Card transforms my Monster into Ectoplasm energy and I can directly attack the player. It will pass through all wall Monsters."
"You can't be..." Yami Yuugi was stunned by Pandora's ruthlessness. "You're willing to sacrifice your own Monster's soul?"
"That's right." Pandora bragged. "The selected Monster will die. If it's to win this match and get back Catherine, my Monster's soul is nothing but a stepping stone to get there. In this turn, I shall turn both 'Doll of Demise' and 'Dark Magician' into Ectoplasm. 'Ectoplasmer', fire." he sacrificed 'Doll of Demise' first, reducing Yami Yuugi's Life Points to 700. "Yuugi, as a 'Dark Magician' user, do you understand the reason I'm unbeatable? I'll tell you. That's because I can step on my servants with no second thought, even if it means their deaths. The way you try to win is pure naivety. See there, your servant is unable to move. He can't protect you or anything. Isn't it okay to use the life of your servants to defeat the enemy laid out in front of you? My 'Dark Magician' devotes it's life and soul to my needs. For my victory. Now, it's finally the finale. 'Ectoplasmer', activate. Change 'Dark Magician' into Ectoplasm."
"Pandora, your Monster is crying." Yami Yuugi remarked.
"It's no matter." Pandora shrugged. "'Ectoplasmer', attack."
In response, Yami Yuugi's trapped 'Dark Magician' had made use of the 'Ectoplasmer' Field Card to turn himself into Ectoplasm to act as a shield for his wielder.
"'Dark Magician', in order to stop it, transformed itself into Ectoplasm as well?" Pandora realized what had happened. This turn, because I turned my Monster into Ectoplasm, 'Dark Magician' was destroyed. In other words, his 'Dark Magician' was also affected at the same time. But a mere card chose to extract itself by 'Ectoplasmer' and protected the player from certain death?
"Tyranny isn't the only method to win a game." Yami Yuugi's ire rightfully ignited. "I'll teach you this, Pandora.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.