** Gengar Giant: 6400 HP || Yami Yugi (Ark, Puzzle): 6000 LP **
Magnet Warrior Alpha hovered in the center of the arena, its artificial eyes staring fearlessly at the massive pokemon. Alpha was not afraid of Gengar, despite the huge difference in power and size. This may have been because Alpha was not "alive" like some of the other monsters on the island. Its mind was simple and focused only on battling.
With Alpha sealed in play by Gengar's Mean Look attack, I risk losing a lot of Life Points, Yami noted. We must prevent Gengar from attacking and build a defense of some kind until we can summon something powerful enough to destroy him.
We don't have many cards that can stop something so massive, Yugi replied. And one attack from Gengar will be enough to shatter Alpha and obliterate most of our Life Points. Yugi was already losing hope.
But we do have a card that might affect him. As a Ghost, his weakness may be life itself! Yami slashed the Monster Reborn card in his hand, and targetted the enemy with it. Monster Reborn could revive any dead monster to life. And against Undead monsters, that was a lethal move.
A shining silver ankh flew through the air towards Gengar, but the ghost smacked it aside as if it were nothing. The ankh shattered upon impact with the wall. The magic was ignored.
He blocked it! Yugi gasped.
Yami growled. I was afraid of that. His power is so great, that most Magic and Trap cards might not work on him!
Gengar swayed and eagerly reached for the magnet warrior. Alpha dodged the attack quickly, using his small size to great advantage. Gengar's strength and defense were incredibly high, but its bulky size made it very slow as well. Alpha could avoid just about any physical attack Gengar made. That meant Gengar would have to use one of its special moves to destroy Alpha, which meant Yami and Yugi had some time before it could fully charge one of them.
We have to set the field so that it works to our advantage, not his, Yami decided. Pokemon are strongest when they can move around and fight realistically. "Duel Monsters" is designed for strategy and abstract combat, like in an RPG game.
Yugi sighed. So what do we do?
We change the Field. Yami took one of the cards in his hand and slashed it through his duel ark. "Duelist's Arena! Transform the field!" The moment the card was slashed, the field was surrounded by a stone arena filled with faceless spectators, and stone statues depicting various Duel Monsters. Gengar was suddenly unable to move, and it didn't know why. That made the monster even angrier.
Duelist's Arena
** Field Magic Card
** EFFECT: Summons a [Duelist's Arena] to the field, which can be destroyed. While this arena is in play, all players and their monsters must take Turns rather than battle in real-time. Monsters may be changed to "Defense Position" to prevent damage to their Players. Slashed cards are "Set" on the field.
Gengar was paralyzed, because it was not yet its turn.
There are several "Arena" cards that allow players to shift the Crossover Battle rules into their favor. The Duelist's Arena supports duelists, and there are similar field cards for Trainers and Tamers.
Awesome! Yugi cheered. Now I feel right at home!
Now, we have a better chance of defeating Gengar. Because this battle is going by our rules now.
Yami slashed a second card, and the Duelist's Arena reacted by placing a face-down card on the field as a hologram. This was a staple of Duel Monsters, which allowed players to store cards on the field as well as in their hands. Cards on the field could be activated immediately, but they were also at greater risk of being destroyed.
"I switch Alpha, the Magnet Warrior into Defense mode, and end my turn," Yami said aloud. Alpha kneeled down to symbolize its change in position. By switching positions, Yami could prevent any damage carrying over to him, even if Alpha lost all of his Hit Points. It was a necessary sacrifice at this point.
Gengar's turn arrived. This was symbolized by an almost-invisible halo created with the Duelist's Arena. When the halo moved to the head of another player (or monster, in Gengar's case), it was that person's turn to act. The halo looked infintesimally small on Gengar's giant head, since it was sized for a human head.
Gengar tried to charge past the motionless Alpha to attack Yami directly, but a force barrier knocked Gengar back. It tried again and again to attack Yami, but the Arena's rules prevented such actions from taking place while Yami had a monster protecting him. Gengar realized that he could not hit Yami because of the card - at least not yet. So it smashed Yami's magnet warrior with a powerful fist to the head. Alpha was slammed into the ground and crushed into metallic powder. Yami's life points remained intact, thanks to the Arena's effect. The giant pokemon jumped back from the center of the arena, and its turn ended automatically.
The Arena card saved us from losing over a thousand Life Points, Yugi said with relief.
We still have to deal with Gengar, though. And quickly. The pokemon may figure out a way to destroy the Arena before we can mount an assault. Yami reloaded his hand when his turn began.
"I summon Big Shield Guarder, in Defense mode!" Yami placed the card in the Active Slot, and the monster appeared as normal. "And I activate the magic card, Multiply, to create two more Guarders to protect my life points!" Multiply was flipped immediately after it was Set on the field. The Big Shield Guarder transformed into three monsters, each of them as strong as the original. [100/2600/12]
Why didn't you create an infinite number of them, Yami?
The spirit replied quickly. Doing so would have meant that Multiply would stay on the field, like an Equipment card does. If Gengar somehow destroyed Multiply, I would have lost my monsters and left my Guarder at great risk. By limiting its effect, I don't have to worry about Multiply being dispelled.
Yami ended his turn, and the red halo rushed over to Gengar. When Gengar was able to move again, he immediately destroyed one of the Guarders without difficulty. He leapt back, and ended his turn quickly. Yugi and his guardian were stunned at the creature's swiftness. It was almost like its anger made it faster.
Yami drew once to replace the spent Multiply card, and got his Dark Magician. Unfortunately, he couldn't use him without putting him in danger. And he couldn't play him while his Guarder was on the field either, since his Active Slot could only hold one card. Yami passed without doing anything.
The red halo swooped to Gengar again, and its turn began. Unlike last time though, Gengar did not charge out to crush another Guarder. He paused, as if thinking about his move. This worried Yami.
I don't know how complex the programming for this creature is. If it has time to think, it may figure out a way to defeat my combo.
It can't be too smart, Yugi figured. It isn't talking like any of the pokemon in En'Dal were.
Gengar's eyes glowed. Yami flinched. A special ability!
The giant ghost looked directly at one of the Big Shield Guarders, and the Guarder looked back against its will. There was a brief exchange of energy between the two monsters, and suddenly the Guarder was acting strangely. Three golden stars swirled around the monster's head, as if it were a cartoon character that had been hit by a rock or a bowling ball.
Confusion! Yugi cried. Our Guarder is attacking Gengar! That meant that Yami's monster was no longer in Defense position. If it was destroyed, the resulting backlash would affect Yami's life points!
Gengar counterattacked. Yami's monster was destroyed with ease by Gengar's dark energies. Guarder was consumed by a horde of shadows, and Yami yelled as intense pain rushed through his body. Yugi could barely hang on after such a shock to his system.
** Yami -- 4600 LP **
The circle at Yami's feet fizzled and weakened. Yami managed to hang on, and was glad to see that Yugi did the same. Curse that Gengar!
Curse this migraine, Yugi corrected. If Yugi were in control, he would have massaged the side of his head with his fingers.
He may use that attack again. We must play a monster that can resist Gengar's confusion attacks.
Gengar's turn ended. Yami removed the final Guarder from the field himself.
"I switch Big Shield Guarder for the Dark Magician, my Partner Card, in Defense position!" Dark Magician appeared on the field, but he kneeled immediately after appearing. Yami wasn't ready to attack just yet.
Yami looked at the card still Set on his field. Now, I can use this. Hopefully, Gengar won't see it coming. With that, Yami ended his turn, and the halo switched sides again.
Gengar grinned eerily. And as it did, it launched a sphere of dark energy towards the Dark Magician by balling up its fist and "punching" the air. Yami smirked, thinking he had outsmarted the overconfident creature.
"Activate trap card! Magic Cylinders!!" Yami's voice activated the trap card, which started to flip face-up.
The moment the card's face was visible, Gengar opened its balled-up hand. As the dark energy attack swirled through the air, a cylinder appeared on each side of the Dark Magician. One of the cylinders twisted and screeched loudly as some invisible force changed the cylinder's shape. The cylinder that would catch Gengar's attack was normal, but the second cylinder was curved to point straight at the ground - towards the arena!
He's used his powers on our Trap Card! Yugi gasped. Now his attack will hit the ground, with more power than the original attack!
It was too late to stop the trap's activation. The Dark Magician caught Gengar's attack with one tube, and redirected it magically through the other tube. But to the magician's surprise, the attack went straight down since the tube was curved by Gengar's powers. Gengar's own attack was nearly doubled in strength and crashed into the ground like a comet! The force of the attack shattered the arena, sending stone and shrapnel flying in all directions. Yami flew back from the resulting force, and the Dark Magician did the same.
When the attack was over, the Duelist's Arena was gone. Yami was on his back, and his Dark Magician was on top of him.
"..." The monster was speechless, as normal. It did look confused, though.
Yami's eyes widened as he heard the sound of Gengar's next blast. "Look out!" Dark Magician leapt straight up, while Yami rolled over and made a mad dash for the side of the room. Yami flew through the air a short distance again, but he recovered quickly. He stood up, and quickly focused his energies to form a protective circle around him. Gengar looked down at the human with glee, knowing now that he had the upper hand again.
** Gengar Giant: 6400 HP || Yami: 4600 LP **
Gengar has enough power to breach our Summoning Circle, Yami noted as he caught his breath. We must act quickly, before he weakens the circle further.
How do we fight something that big, when it can use its abilities as quickly as our Dark Magician can?
Yami had a brainstorm. Yugi listened to the spirit's thoughts, but they were all jumbled together and moving through his head at blistering speed. When Yami thought about things, it was like listening to a super-computer at work. Yami was intelligent and skilled, and his amazing spiritual power made his mind work at a level that most humans could only dream of. For Yami, every problem was like a picture, frozen in time. He could solve the problem in seconds, when a normal person would take much longer to figure it out.
We turn the powers of darkness against him, Yami said. He slashed a card, and the Dark Magician hovered towards the ground as three beams of light swirled from his master's duel ark. The Dark Magician's power was increased by the power of another card.
"Dauthi Horror! Grant your shadow powers to the Dark Magician!" A minute, bug-like creature hovered over the Dark Magician as a spirit before disappearing just as quickly. The Dark Magician faded until he was translucent and charged at Gengar. Gengar tried to grab the irritating monster, but the pokemon's arms went through him as if he weren't there. The magician disappeared into Gengar's body.
"Dark Magic Attack!" Yami roared. Gengar howled as a wave of magic flew from his body. The dark energy seemed to disintegrate more than half the monster's body, turning the Gengar into a pile of sludge.
** Gengar Giant -- 1400 HP **
Yami did a guttural laugh. "Ghosts are weak against Dark attacks! And since the Dark Magician is currently ethereal, it can ignore your defenses and destroy Gengar from the inside!"
The Dark Magician flew out of what was left of Gengar's body, and the Dauthi Horror's effects wore off. The magician was solid again.
All right!! Yugi cheered. We showed that spook who's boss!
It's not over yet, Yugi. Gengar's gelatinous body started to melt together, and slowly reformed. The moment its eyes were regenerated, Gengar attacked the Dark Magician with one of its special abilities. Before Yami could react, his Partner was closing his eyes and sinking to the ground.
The Dark Magician was asleep!
Damn! Yami swore. A sleeping monster can't fight or be switched until it's woken up!
Gengar's counterattack didn't end there. With another flash of its eyes, Gengar summoned what appeared to be a tiny ball of darkness, almost like a Ghastly without the gassy aura. The creature zoomed into the Dark Magician's body and disappeared. The alarm on Yami's duel ark went off; the Dark Magician was losing health at a rapid rate!
[DM's HP: 3450...3300...3150....]
A Nightmare attack! Yugi said. Dark Magician will keep losing hit points while it sleeps, and the damage it will deal to us will continue to build up!
"A powerful combo," Yami granted. He reloaded his hand and quickly chose a card. "But I refuse to lose! I will defeat you, just like I intend to defeat Zero, permanently!!"
** Card Slash Sequence **
"MODIFY! Crypt Angel, activate!!"
A beautiful woman, with feathered black wings, descended from the sky. Her feet touched the ground, and she lightly stepped to the Dark Magician's side. And like a cultured lady, the Crypt Angel began a slow walk across the field, her head bowed low as if in a funeral procession.
"In thirty seconds, Gengar, you will be revived!" Yami shouted. "Your ghostly nature will be destroyed, along with all your dark powers! And with your health as low as it is, you won't be able to resist the Angel's touch!"
Gengar shrieked ferally. It focused its attention on the pseudo-monster, hoping to obliterate the Crypt Angel before her "quick" attack was unleashed.
[DM's HP: 2700...2550...2400....]
We have to hurry, Yami! If Dark Magician is destroyed by the Nightmare combo, we'll lose our remaining Life Points!
Gengar threw a ball of darkness at Crypt Angel, and Yami quickly slashed a card to counter the assault.
"Mirror Force!" Gengar's own attack was reflected back at the giant, but Gengar smacked the blast aside like it was nothing. The attack exploded against the side of the arena, shaking the dungeon to its core.
The Crypt Angel was almost halfway across the arena. Gengar backed up, but it was running out of room. Yami had to continue his offensive somehow, but he didn't have any more monsters in his hand that could affect Gengar. Crypt Angel was in the process of attacking, and the Dark Magician was still asleep. If Yami wanted to attack, he'd have to do it himself.
"MODIFY! Tremendous Fire, activate!!" Yami slashed the magic card, which summoned a meteor above the duelist's head. Yami threw his hand forward, and the meteor launched across the field before smacking Gengar with incredible force. The roar of the meteor was like something out of a disaster movie. Gengar was struck, but the force wasn't enough to damage the mighty beast. The meteor was shattered by Gengar's counterattack.
Crypt Angel ignored the attack, as she continued her silent procession. She was almost there.
[DM's HP: 1650...1500...1350....]
Faster, faster! Yugi growled. Crypt Angel's not going to make it!
She'll make it! Yami said, almost hopefully. She has to!
Gengar roared as his back pressed against the farthest wall. Unable to go intangible, he was unable to get past the tiny creature. He did not want to risk running past her, but his instincts warned him against it. Like a bomb, Crypt Angel might go off if he made a wrong move. Gengar tried to scare the angel with loud shrieks and cries, but Crypt Angel ignored him.
Finally, in an act of desperation, Gengar made a break for it. He ran towards the Angel's flank.
[DM's HP: 600...400...200...]
"NOW!!" Yami shouted. He slashed his Spellbinding Circle, which paralyzed the massive Gengar instantly. Gengar was trapped! Crypt Angel reached out her hand and gently touched the ghost. Gengar's body glowed like the sun, and the entire field was encompassed by it.
[DM's HP: 1]
Yami opened his eyes. Where Gengar stood moments before, a giant, pink bubbly creature with a grin as big as a dumptruck was floating on feathery wings. Yami didn't know if it was a Pokemon or not, but it seemed to be non-hostile.
...We did it, Yugi said with relief.
Indeed. The Millennium Puzzle quieted down. The golden sennin eye faded away. Yami took a deep breath, focused his thoughts, and breathed out. The dark energies in his system returned to a more controlled level.
What is that thing? Yugi wondered, still staring at what used to be Gengar.
Let's find out. Yami scanned the mystery monster with his ark.
Ragniel
** Angel Pokemon, LEVEL 50
** New Pokemon's data has been saved.
"An Angel Pokemon," Yami said, surprised. "I wonder..."
Yugi finished the thought. ...If we've created a new kind of Pokemon?
Yami looked solemnly at Ragniel, who faded into the form of a card and flew into the duelist's hand. Beneath the card was a crest, identified as the 'Hidden Crest'.
Yami frowned at the card. "This is the meaning of Ultimate Compatibility. Zero's goal."
His goal?
The spirit of the puzzle frowned at Ragniel. "Zero intends to create a new monster, in the final battle. That monster will be Exodia... and Jeri Katou will be the key."
But Jeri is with us. And Joey will keep her safe.
Yami frowned. "I hope so."
~ ~ ~ ~
"You want to go where?" Mokuba flubbed. "Why the heck do you want to go to the Crystal Castle? We have to get as far away from Zero and Kaiba as we can. We have to find a way off this island, and our best bet is to head to one of the docks and search for a ship."
Sakura looked sheepishly at the floor. "I know, Capu-kun. But... there's somebody there I have to meet. I heard from a player that the children who were on the news a while ago are going there. The Digimon Tamers."
Mokuba considered that. "Digimon Tamers? I remember them. Fought that thing that nearly wiped out Kaiba Corp's mainframe. But why do you wanna see them?"
"I... I think they might be able to help us." Sakura sat on the edge of the bed, wearing one of the many pink dresses that accentuated her cuteness. "I guess it's just a dumb idea."
"No-no, it isn't," Mokuba said quickly. He sat next to Sakura and cradled her shoulders. "If anyone can help us get out of this mess, it's someone like them. We should give them a call and find out where they stand on all of this."
Sakura smiled lightly, a soft blush filling her cheeks. "Really?"
"Really." Mokuba smiled, got up, and began packing his things. "If we hurry, we can reach them before noon."
Sakura's smile changed into a dull, lifeless frown. Her eyes flickered slightly. "That's good, Mokuba. Very good..."
Sakura's download of Takato's Ka was complete. The death of the boy meant his soul became one of the many tenants in Veja Cathedral. His Ka was up for grabs, and Sakura was now its controller. Guilmon, potentially the most powerful Digimon on the island, was now under her control.
It would only be fitting for the Tamers to die at the hands of one of their friends. And by their death, their Ka's would become hers. Then, with the power of four Ka's at Sakura's command, the dark powers inside Jeri's (and Juri's) soul could be drawn.
~ ~ ~ ~
Henry hung up the cell phone. "That was Yugi. He's got the Hidden Crest."
"Then that means it's time to head to the castle," Rika said firmly. She stood up and made sure her deck holster was in place. "You boys ready?"
Terriermon yawned. "Not really..."
Rika sweatdropped. "You haven't changed a bit. You'd think a few months in the Digital World would change a 'mon."
"But I told you, I wasn't in the Digital World. At least, I don't think I was," Terriermon quibbled. "I was in some weird place, and I couldn't see, hear, or feel anything except static."
"Feel static?" Rika mused. "Is that possible?"
"For a Digimon, yeah." Terriermon smiled.
Henry had been wondering about that. "Right. You say the first you remember after leaving us is waking up inside a dark room. Then, you were put to sleep or something, and you remember nightmares of some kind."
"Yeah, something like that."
"Then you woke up on the battlefield with me, when we were fighting Zero," Henry finished. He frowned thoughtfully. "It's almost like you were trapped somewhere."
"I'm happy you two are reunited and all, but we don't have time for this," Rika snapped. "Let's go get Ash."
Terriermon growled. "Moumantai! You'd think after being separated, you'd be happy to see me again!"
"I could go for years without seeing you," Rika said with impish malevolence. She walked out the door and headed for Ash's room down the hall.
"She really is happy to see you," Henry said. "I think she'd just be happier if you were Renamon."
Terriermon shrugged. "Not my fault. But I'm willing to bet that Guilmon and Renamon are in the same place I was."
Henry drew Terriermon's card from his deck. "Perhaps the cards are the key to freeing them, then."
"I don't know," Terriermon said as he hopped off the bed. "All I know is that I want to help my friends get out. That place was... scary."
"We will help them," Henry said. "I promise."
Terriermon nodded, and disappeared into Henry's card. Henry slid the card into his deck and followed Rika out of the room.
~ ~ ~ ~
[Crystal Castle || Hilltop]
It was a massive castle, designed to look like one of the fairy tale buildings seen in picture books. Unlike the fairy tales though, there were countless explosions and monstrosities flying through the sky, trying their best to destroy it. Players from all over the island were using their Duel Arks to attack the castle, hoping to breach its invisible defenses. None of them had succeeded, yet.
Yugi, Henry, Rika, and Ash surveyed the expanses. The warzone down below was not very inviting. Jeri and Joey stood by, watching the other four intently.
"This is it," Henry said somberly. "The final battle takes place here."
Ash frowned. "This is where I'm going to win the prize. And give it to Misty as an apology for letting her down."
"Don't beat yourself up for something you can't control," Joey said casually. "At least, that's what Serenity told me. It might mean more to you than it did to me." Ash bowed his head slightly.
Rika tried to ignore the conversation, because she knew it would distract her from the matter at hand. "This is where Zero is, then."
"Yes," Yugi said. "Zero..."
Jeri shivered slightly. The darkness in the area was palpable. "Why did you bring me here, guys? I can't fight..."
"You're safer with all of us together," Joey said. "Don't worry. You don't have to fight. Just stick with me and you'll be fine." Joey grinned cheesily, making Jeri giggle.
Yugi smiled. Joey was always good at boosting the spirits of his friends, even in the darkest moments.
"No use in waiting around. Let's go!" Ash raced down the hill, with Rika in quick pursuit. Henry followed Rika, and the others brought up the rear. It wasn't long before they were on the path that led to the castle's western gate.
"Nobody's fighting on this side," Joey noticed. "Why is that?"
"This side is hard to get to," Henry said. He pointed out the rolling hills and thick shrubbery bordering them. "The only way to get here is from En'Dal's main road. The easiest side to reach is the eastern wall."
"It'll make it easier on us, then," Rika said. Up ahead, Ash stopped walking, and the others followed suit. Ash reached up and waved his hand through the air. A shimmering bubble could be seen there, vibrating from Ash's touch.
"The castle's defenses," Yugi said. "This must be what the others are trying to destroy."
Ash took a tentative step forward. He passed through the barrier without difficulty. Rika and Yugi did the same. Immediately after Henry went through, Joey crashed into the barrier nose-first. Joey yiped in pain and held his aching nose while muttering obscenities. Jeri gasped at the words.
Henry smiled lightly in amusement. "I guess you need Crests to get by the barrier. Should of guessed."
"Thanks," Joey said as he held his nose.
"Joey and I can wait out here," Jeri suggested. "I know it's safer to be in a group, but we can't hold you back."
Rika frowned slightly. "I don't want to leave you alone, Jeri. Zero might be watching."
"Don't you worry," Joey said confidently. "I wouldn't have promised to protect Jeri if I didn't think I could do it. Jeri and I'll be just fine out here."
"You're sure?" Yugi asked. "Zero is a dangerous man, Joey. And the other players might be just as dangerous. If one of them sees you here, they may attack you two."
"I'm positive," Joey asserted. "Have a little faith in the Jo-meister."
Jeri was still worried, but she tried not to show it. She leapt upon Joey's midsection and hugged him. "Yes, Joey and I will be fine! We promise!" Joey was a little surprised at Jeri's enthusiasm, but agreed nonetheless.
Henry begrudgingly agreed. "...Alright. Just be careful. Don't talk to strangers, and look both ways before crossing the battlefield."
Jeri nodded. "We'll be careful."
Henry looked at the others, and the group continued towards the castle at a quick pace. Jeri and Joey watched them go off.
"...I wish Takato was here to see me now," Jeri said sadly. "This is strong, for me."
"You have a lot more strength than you give yourself credit for. You're just like Yugi - compassionate and kind, but when your friends are in danger, your real strength shines." Joey smiled at the girl and patted her head in a brotherly manner. "Your boyfriend was a lucky guy."
Jeri giggled slightly, and wiped a tear away.
[Crystal Castle || West Entrance]
"...Done," Yugi said. The puzzle lock opened immediately. The others stood there, aghast.
"How'd you solve that puzzle so quickly?" Ash asked. "I wasn't even sure if that puzzle was in Japanese or Swahili."
"It was a pattern puzzle," Yugi said as the door swung open. "The symbols looked like kanji, but they mean nothing. They just occur in patterns. The key was putting them in the right pattern so that it progressively counts down from sets of 3, to sets of zero."
Henry blinked. "I... think I get it."
"A game geek like you probably would get it," Rika said. "Let's just get going." She entered the dark corridor. Yugi sighed, and followed with the others.
"I thought you did a nice job," Henry said in consolation. Yugi smiled.
*ping!*
Yugi stopped. Henry did the same. Ash and Rika continued ahead, oblivious to Yugi's hesitation.
"What's the matter?" Henry asked. "Don't be scared."
"It's not that." Yugi looked down at the Millennium Puzzle. A warm glow appeared briefly, then disappeared. "I just sensed something. I think it's that girl that injured me a while back. That girl in the red dress."
Henry frowned. "Meaning what? She can't be in here unless she got four Crests, and that's impossible."
Yugi looked up ahead, and that weird feeling grew stronger. "...No. Somehow, she got here. And she's waiting for us up ahead." Yugi raced down the tunnel, with Henry in quick pursuit. Ash and Rika reached the tunnel's end just as Yugi and Henry did.
The room was a fairly large chamber decorated in the manner of an expensive mansion. There was a double stairway that curled around and met at the second floor. Beneath the stairway was a marble hall that led into another section of the castle. Standing at the base of the stairway was a statue of a Pharaoh, made of what looked like solid gold. And leaning against that statue was a young girl, with a boy cradled in her arms.
"Mokuba!" Yugi gasped. "And you...! What have you done to Mokuba!?"
The boy was unconscious in Sakura's arms. It looked almost like he was asleep, but his breathing was almost non-existent. In Sakura's hand was a card labeled SLEEP on the bottom. In her opposite hand was a large rod, taller than she was by at least thirty centimeters. It was topped by a black star, surrounded by the red material that made up the rest of her wand. Black feathery wings decorated the red circle.
Sakura tossed Mokuba to the ground with a thud. He didn't wake.
"He's alive. Merely unconscious. This 'Sleep' card will keep him that way, so that this unit can act unhindered. As far as he knows, Sakura fell unconscious at the castle's steps just before he did."
"How did you get in here!" Rika shouted. "There's no way you can have four Crests!"
"I am a servant of Master Zero," the duelBot said as she walked forward with an almost seductive swagger. "Although Mokuba thinks he has hidden Sakura from Master, Zero has known of this unit's presence all along. Master Zero's computer has updated this unit while maintaining a low profile so that Mokuba would not notice. This unit needed time to reprogram and retrofit itself before stealing your Ka's."
Ash had his hands in his pockets, blatantly showing his unconcern. "That's great. Now get out of the way. We have a battle with your 'master'."
"I do not think so," Sakura said. The duelBot extended its rod, and the star began to revolve at a blistering speed. Moments later, a flash of light emanated from the device, and everyone in the room felt a wave of pain rush through their bodies.
"AGGGH!!" Ash felt himself floating upwards, just as his body crashed to the floor. His spirit was the first to enter the rod.
"NOOO!!" Rika fell to the ground, but her soul clung to her body for as long as it could. It wasn't long before her strength gave out, and she was sucked into Sakura's rod as well.
"Can't... resist..." Henry's will was strong as well, but Sakura's newfound power was beyond resistance. Her rod absorbed Henry's soul, just as it had the others.
"Ya...mi...." Yugi couldn't hang on any longer, and his spirit was ripped from his body as well. He wound up in the rod just like all the others.
All four bodies were on the floor, now without energy. Their Ka's were now Sakura's... except for one.
Come out, Pharaoh-Ka. Your Ka cannot be drained while it resides in the Millennium Item. Release yourself, and fight! When your energy is drained, your Ka will belong to Master Zero!
The Millennium Puzzle glowed with power, and the other Yugi erupted from his sanctuary. Yami opened his eyes, and slowly stood.
"...We meet again, 'Sakura'," Yami said. "But it seems your power has increased dramatically since our last battle."
"This unit recalls that you were unable to complete our last battle." The duelBot twirled her rod and stabbed it into the marble floor with enough force to penetrate the ground. Sakura let go of the wand, and took two steps forward. "Which means that you are now incapable of defeating this unit."
"Believe what you want," Yami retorted. He took off his jacket and tossed it aside. He did the same to his dueling belt. "I will not allow you to defeat me. The powers of my Ka belong to Yugi, and no one else."
Yami lifted his arm, removed the Duel Ark from his arm, and tossed it aside. "And this time, I intend to fight you by your rules. No machines to summon 'holograms'. This time, it is a battle of magic."
The room began to darken as Yami's emotions summoned the Shadow Realm into being. The duelBot looked around, a little surprised but not afraid. It scanned its rapidly changing environment, and understood quickly what was going on.
"This is no different from a Bio Emergence field," Sakura noted. "It is a field where the laws of dimensional segregation no longer apply. Monsters can be summoned without the Mini-Cyber technology here."
Yami chuckled. "Your scientific explanation pales in comparison to the truth. The Shadow Realm is the key to infinite power. Even immortal Gods that do battle here can die, for the penalty of losing a game is great here."
"You wish to destroy this unit, then?" the duelBot sneered.
"No. Although your cold computer programming makes you neutral to what is going on around you, I sense a pure-hearted spirit within you. I will free that spirit by defeating you in this Shadow Game. But if you win, you may have my Ka as well as my Millennium Puzzle. Which would give Zero access to more than just Exodia. He would have the Egyptian Gods within his grasp."
"Egyptian... Gods?" the unit echoed. "No data."
"They are three monsters, each more powerful than Exodia," Yami said with an evil grin. "With the Millennium Puzzle, Zero could unleash their power on the world. Exodia's power is great, but it does not compare to that of the three Gods. If anyone but Zero has the power of the Gods, they can stop any plan he has relating to Exodia."
The duelBot analyzed this data. Her sensory systems could read Yami's heart pulse and other biological functions, so she knew he was telling what he believed was the truth. If these 'God monsters' were indeed that strong, then Master Zero would certainly want them under his control. She had to accept this offer.
"This unit agrees to your Shadow Game rules," Sakura said mechanically. "If this unit wins, your Ka will be absorbed, and your Millennium Puzzle's ownership will transfer to this unit."
"Agreed," Yami said. "But if you lose, your programming will be destroyed, and the innocent within you will be freed."
Sakura glared at the duelist, her eyes flashing as her data processors increased in speed. "Begin, Pharaoh Ka! Summon a monster!"
"This will not be a game of monsters," Yami said as he reached around his neck and pulled off the Millennium Puzzle. "This will be a game of the mind - a true test of your programmed intelligence and my human abilities."
"There is no way for a human to beat an artificial intelligence of my level," the duelBot stated. "Only the alternate strengths and abilities of monsters and the luck of the draw give you the chance to defeat this unit's strategies. You are foolish to play a game without those aspects."
"We will see." Yami tossed his Millennium Puzzle to the side. "Now, let me explain the rules. We will play a simple game of memory, using the illusionary powers of the Shadow Realm." Yami waved his hand, and two cards appeared in front of Sakura. They were the same card - a Calumon. The cards flipped over quickly to reveal their backs.
"During your turn, you will get a quick glimpse of all the cards, and they will flip back over. You are to find pairs of cards. If you make one error, you lose. If you succeed in matching all the pairs during your turn, your opponent must do the same with double the number of cards."
Sakura frowned. This was too easy. A machine could not forget images, even if they see them for a brief moment.
"The only other rule is that you cannot move in an attempt to see the cards once they are flipped. Other than that, players may do as they wish."
"You are foolish, Pharaoh-Ka. There is no way you can outperform me in this situation." Sakura flipped over the two Calumon cards, and they burst into light. Four cards appeared facing Yami, before they flipped over to show their backs to him. The pairs were of Calumon and Impmon. Yami easily found the pairs. Sakura was faced with eight cards.
"You are a machine, and thus have a limit," Yami said. "I am mortal, but my mind is on a level beyond mortals. My only limit is my emotions. And I will never lose when my friends are on the line."
"Your illogical assumption will be your downfall," Sakura said. She paired up the eight cards, and Yami was faced with sixteen cards. They flipped, and Yami began pairing them up. The Shadow Game continued.
~ ~ ~ ~
...He's gone forever, isn't he, Jeri thought sadly.
Not quite. The Pharaoh has a plan to revive him. I can feel it.
How can you feel that? Are you psychic?
I have a connection to the Pharaoh. He and I, in a past life, were in love. Much like you are with Takato. The Pharaoh had the boundless confidence that you see in Takato.
Jeri frowned inwardly. In the real world, she was sitting on the side of a hill, with Joey watching the area for intruders. She was deep in thought, communicating with this mysterious entity inside her. It frightened her, reminding her of D-Reaper and how he invaded her thoughts. But this presence had a friendly aura around her, and an equal amount of sadness. Jeri felt a kinship with her.
You think the Pharaoh will revive Takato. How can that be possible? I want to believe, but...
I do not know, the presence replied. But I believe in the Pharaoh. He tried everything in his power to protect me from Priest Seto and his servants. Although I was cast into a coffin alive, I do not fault my love. I believe in him.
The presence shivered at the memory of her own death, and Jeri shivered as well.
I don't really know who you are, or why you're talking to me. But I think I trust you. And I don't know why. Is that strange?
No. It is expected. We are kindred spirits, you and I. And by working together, you and I can ensure that the world is safe from people like Zero.
...How?
By winning this tournament, and mastering the power that Zero wants to take from us. With my knowledge, and your strength, I think we can do it.
Jeri hugged herself, and the warmth of her own feelings flowed into the spirit. My name is Jeri Katou. What is your name?
The spirit seemed to return the warmth. ...Juri, of the Hebrews. Pharaoh's servant.
Let's save our friends, Juri.
Jeri felt a rush of power in her chest, as if her heart was giving off heat. We shall... together.
~ ~ ~ ~
Yami remained focused, for to do otherwise would mean losing. The number of cards being matched was astounding. Sakura completed her pairing of 512 cards, and they all burst into particles of light. Double that amount appeared before Yami in squares about twenty cards high and wide. Yami received his three second glimpse of every card, and they flipped over. Yami began pairing cards up, with his eyes closed and his mind focused on his goal. He moved his fingers like a conductor running an orchestra, pointing at cards with each hand to match pairs.
"You are reaching the biological limit of your species," Sakura said happily. "You will fail during this turn. It is inevitable."
"Watch and learn the potential of humans," Yami replied calmly. His hands moved rhythmically and without fault. Twenty pairs were matched, and Yami showed no signs of slowing down.
"This unit believes distracting you is unfair, but it is pointless now, as you will lose this turn. This unit has sent a Monster after your friends during our game. Juri-Ka and her guardian will soon be found, and once this Ka touches Juri's host, I will be able to extract her Ka instantly from here."
Yami chuckled lightly. It was as he expected. "Then you have made my plan a success. Because I knew you would send a Ka after Juri. And that Ka is most assuredly Megidramon."
The duelBot's eyes went wide with surprise - something the robot had never done before unless she was impersonating Sakura. "That is not possible! This unit knows you are incapable of future prediction!"
"It's a matter of personality and probability," Yami said, his arms orchestrating still. He opened his eyes, which locked with Sakura's and revealed his confidence. "I know what you are, and I can figure out every move you'll make based on that. You are a machine, and you have limits. That is how I knew you would send Takato's Ka after his friends."
For the first time since this encounter, the duelBot showed signs of fear and doubt. "Not... possible..."
"This game will be mine, and Takato will be freed. Joey will use the cards I gave him, and that will bring Takato back to life!"
Sakura was aghast. The Pharaoh Ka was greater in strength than she imagined! He planned her every move!
"And now..." Yami finished his orchestration, and paired up the 1024 cards hovering before him. They burst into light. Yami stared coldly at the duelBot. "...It's your turn."
~ ~ ~ ~
Something approaches, the spirit Juri said. Jeri opened her eyes and looked around. Joey was running down the hill towards the West Gate.
"Jeri, stay close to me!" he shouted. Joey activated his Duel Ark and drew five cards in a flash. As he assumed his battle stance, a massive beast crashed through the trees. Megidramon lifted his head and roared like a lion, its demonic eyes aimed squarely at the two humans.
"Megidramon!!" Jeri cried. "That's Takato's, I mean Guilmon's, I mean-"
"He's the main course on Joey's dessert table!" the duelist shouted. "I've been expecting ya, chump!" Jeri gasped. "What!?"
"First up, Red Eyes Black Dragon, become Active!!" Joey slid the card into the appropriate slot, and Red Eyes interceded itself between Megidramon and the humans. Megidramon attacked without delay, but Red Eyes batted him back with all the force he could muster. The two dragons began a melee that only two predators in the wild could match.
"And I'm slashing the magic card, Metamorphosis!! Change Megidramon to its alternate Mega form!" Megidramon was caught by the card's effects, and drawn into a vortex as its shape was retrofitted.
Gallantmon appeared from the vortex, its eyes glowing red from the control exerted by Sakura.
There was a soft chuckle in Jeri's mind. I see. The Pharaoh's plan is to use the cards as Zero meant them to be used - to change reality.
The controlled Gallantmon swung its mighty blade and impaled Red Eyes to the ground. The dragon let out a horrendous roar as the sword went through its body and dealt major damage along the way. Only through sheer force of will did the dragon remain in play. Joey could see the sparkle in the dragon's eyes. It was awake, like Terriermon and Jinzo!
"Hang on, buddy!!" Joey shouted. He slashed the third card in his hand. "Now, Fusion Cancel!! Break the Gallantmon form into its two parts!"
Jeri's eyes widened. "Guilmon... and Takato!" Could it really be true?
Gallantmon's form fizzled, but refused to come apart. Gallantmon began beating Red Eyes mercilessly with its fists, smashing the dragon's skull repeatedly with its gauntlet.
"FUSION CANCEL!!" Joey commanded. "BREAK GALLANTMON'S FORM!!"
Again, Gallantmon fizzled, and the monster roared. It refused to give in. Gallantmon gave one final roar, and Joey's duel ark burst with light where the slash slot was. Joey flew several meters into the dirt, the Fusion Cancel card landing beside him. Gallantmon continued its merciless beating on the Black Dragon, but the dragon fought back with all its strength despite being impaled to the ground.
"Joey!!" Jeri rushed over and patted the boy's cheek. "Wake up! Joey!!"
"Unggh..." The duelist stirred, but he was still foggy from the hit. His forehead was bleeding, as if it were cut by something. Jeri picked up the Fusion Cancel card, which had a blood stain at its edge. Joey faded back into semi-consciousness.
Jeri had an image of Takato in her mind. She wouldn't give up yet. Jeri removed the teen's Duel Ark and placed it on her own arm. She held up the Fusion Cancel card, and picked up the rest of Joey's cards. She looked at the hand carefully.
Red Eyes knocked Gallantmon back with enough force to knock him off his feet. The dragon pulled itself from the ground, the digimon's sword still in Red Eyes' side. The dragon whirled around and looked at Jeri, almost disdainfully.
"I... I don't know what to do," Jeri whispered.
I will help you. Let me control your emotions, and your mind will be focused. Do what you think is right.
Jeri closed her eyes, and she felt a wave of righteous passion rush through her. When she looked up again, her eyes had a distinctly different look. Jeri was in control of her emotions now, and she knew what to do.
"Dragon! Let us work together to save our friends! Please!" Jeri looked straight at the dragon, eye to eye. Red Eyes seemed to consider her proposition, then turned with a low growl. It waited for its next command.
"We have to weaken Gallantmon until he can't resist the card!" Jeri said with certainty. "I'll support you with Joey's cards! Go, and take him down!"
Red Eyes charged into battle, teeth bared. He would do what it took to protect his human masters. Even die.
~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura's eyes darted left and right. She had completed half of the card pairing, but there were still over 500 cards left! She could not recall some of these cards. She could not match any more pairs! Her mind was scattered with indecision and doubt, after having realized just how powerful this Pharaoh-Ka really was. She was foolish to accept his Shadow Game.
"What's wrong?" Yami taunted. "Having trouble remembering?"
"My memory is absolute," the duelBot said squarely. "This unit is simply organizing its data."
"You're lying." Yami folded his arms confidently. "Your sensory data was stretched to its limit. You are having trouble distinguishing your readings. Just like me."
"That is impossible. You completed your pairings," Sakura snapped.
"But I didn't always know for sure whether I was right or wrong," Yami replied. "But I believed in myself and my friends. And I put my trust in fate, as well."
"That is not a certainty," the machine said. "You gamble with your life with such little data?"
"That is what Faith is all about," Yami said. "A concept you cannot understand. Now concede, or be defeated by your own weaknesses."
The duelBot paused as it considered the ramifications of each. It decided that it liked neither proposition. "...As long as the laws of probability allow this unit to win despite false sensory data, this unit must continue playing the game."
Yami smirked. "Now, you are learning how to play the game. Let's just see if your heart is in the game."
With that Sakura continued matching pairs. She matched several in rapid succession, then started to slow down as she ran out of absolute certainty. She strained her sensory data and her memory, and began using guesswork as well. To her surprise, she was guessing correctly. But how long would it be until probability went against her?
Sakura flipped two cards, and found that they weren't a match. She had lost!!
Yami smirked, and caused every card to disappear with a wave of his hand. "I have won. And I've proven my point."
The duelBot stood there, actually looking dejected by its lost. "This unit... is not perfect, as it was led to believe."
"Nothing is perfect," Yami said as he raised his hand. "Now, as per our deal... RELEASE!!" Yami's hand glowed with power, and the duelBot's synapses overloaded as the power of the Millennium Puzzle rushed through it. The machine fell to the ground, its eyes losing all light and its body losing all power. The duelBot was nothing more than a doll, now.
"You will awaken into a new life," Yami decreed. The shadow game ended, and the blackness around him dissipated. The bodies of the Tamers with him stirred as their souls were returned to their rightful bodies. Yami felt the presence of his Aibou.
Yami! You did it! Yugi cheered. He was glad to see Yami again, and it showed.
Yami stared towards the entrance, and heard the distant sounds of battling. Let us hope that Joey can succeed as well. For the fate of Takato, and Jeri's heart, hangs in the balance.
~ ~ ~ ~
Jeri slashed a monster card to protect Red Eyes from one of Gallantmon's attacks. The slashed monster, a Panther Warrior, was smashed to bits by Gallantmon's crushing fists, but it saved Red Eyes from being damaged. The dragon was bleeding heavily and rapidly losing strength. It wouldn't be long before the dragon passed out from exhaustion, or died out entirely.
"FUSION CANCEL!!" Jeri shouted as she slashed the card. Again, the card was rebounded. Gallantmon was still not weak enough.
We must help Red Eyes, Juri thought. Or else risk his death.
There aren't any monsters in my hand stronger than Joey's dragon, Jeri said. I can't put anyone else in there. Despite that line of thought, Jeri felt pity for the Red Eyes. It was fighting harder than any monster Jeri had ever seen, real or fake. The Red Eyes must've had the strongest heart ever.
Look out! Jeri looked up just in time to see a flying piece of a tree heading towards her. Jeri ducked under the log, which crashed into the landscape behind her. Jeri reloaded her hand before standing back up.
That's it! Jeri thought, looking at one of the cards. This'll do it, if I remember what it does. Joey showed it to me only once.
Let's hope you're correct, Juri replied. Jeri drew the card and slashed it.
"Raigeki!! Blast Gallantmon!!" A bolt of lightning shot from the sky and hit Gallantmon with enough force to destroy most normal creatures. But Gallantmon's nature made it resistant to even this powerful magick's effects. The damage it dealt was considerable, but it did not destroy the digimon.
"It worked!!" Jeri cried. As Gallantmon reeled from the blow, she slashed the key card to this strategy. "FUSION CANCEL!! Separate Takato and Guilmon, now!!"
The magic card infused with Gallantmon's form. The digimon cried out as its shape was dissolved into energy and split into two. One of the shapes fell to the ground as a vaguely reptilian monster with red and black scales. The other form fell to the ground as a naked human.
Jeri threw Joey's duel ark aside and ran over to where the human lay. It was a boy, judging by its figure. Without shame, Jeri rolled the body over and looked into the boy's face. It was indeed Takato.
"Ta...kato?" Jeri whispered hopefully. She felt his chest for a heartbeat, but found none. She checked again, but there was no beat. Jeri's heart sank, and she started to cry. They had failed after all.
"...Jeri?"
The girl looked up, her eyes widened with shock. Takato's eyes were open, looking lovingly at Jeri's face.
Takato smiled lightly. "Why am I naked?"
Jeri couldn't answer. She simply wept into the boy's chest. She couldn't explain what happened, but she was happy. That's all that mattered.