Author's Note: We would like to apologize in advance for the length of this duel. There's not much else to say about that.

Chapter 17

"The Seventh Duel: Machinehead"

"Boy, what a thrill," Joey said, twirling his now full chain of mini-items between his fingers, admiring how they glittered in the sun, "The second one out of all of us to be qualified for the finals!"

"Yeah…how'd that happen?" Mai asked, brushing a few loose strands of dirty-blonde hair out of her face.

"It must've been my superior skills!" Joey said proudly.

"More like luck," Mai said.

"I don't see you with seven items yet!" he growled, turning on her.

"I'll get them! Just you wait!" she said, stomping her foot down indignantly, "Then it'll be my pleasure to kick you right out of the finals!"

"We'll see how eliminates who!" he shot back. Angry sparks of lightning flashed between their eyes.

"Hey! Whoa!" Yugi said, stepping in between them, and pushing them apart, "Chill out! Please, let's just concentrate on finding Kaiba, okay?"

"Fine," Joey said, sticking his nose in the air.

"Sure, kid," Mai said, "And after that, I've got to find me a duel."

"Yeah," Joey said snidely, "Wouldn't wanna fall behind, would we?"

"If you don't shut your mouth, Wheeler – so help me…" Mai said, wheeling on him once more.

"You'll what?!" Joey demanded.

As Yugi moved to break it up once more, a loud, obnoxious laughter broke through the tension on the scene. The group turned to see none other than Bandit Keith leaning against the wall of a building across the street from them. He still sported his signature sunglasses and American Flag bandana (A/N: which is an incredible insult to all Americans, I might add.), but he too was clad in a cloak, colored light brown.

"Keith???" Yugi exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"We haven't seen you since the fire in the warehouse back in Domino," Tristan said.

Whatever had happened to Keith since his 'adventure' being Malik's mind-slave, it seemed his was back to his old self, and he stood up, saying, "What do you think I'm doing here, dorks?" he said, "I'm gonna rebuild my reputation, of course. The name Bandit Keith will strike fear into the hearts of duelists again – make no mistake about that."

"For someone who's been out of the loop for as long as you have," Mai said, "you certainly seem sure of yourself."

"Huh," Keith scoffed, "While you were playing games in Battle City, I was perfecting my skills! I'd wager just about anything that I could knock you out of this tournament!"

Mai's eyes sparked with excitement, "Is that a challenge??"

"You bet it is, Valentine," he said.

"Alright then – I accept," she said, "I'll wager two items on the outcome of this duel – seeing as that's all I need in order to qualify for the finals."

"Fine, two. That put us on equal terms once I beat you. Let's duel!" The machine duelist drew his first five cards (Machine king, Mechanical Chaser, Blast Sphere, Restructor Revolution, and The Emperor's Holiday) and waited for Valentine to finish drawing hers. This was his chance. A chance to get back in the lime light as the number #1 duelist, now that Kaiba was all washed up, "You can start this duel if you want, little girl. It really doesn't matter. My machines are going to wipe the floor with your stupid Harpie's!"

"Who're you calling a 'little girl'?!!" Mai said, glancing down at her first five cards (Gemini Elf, Swords of Revealing Light, Spirit of the Books, Rose Whip, and Harpie Lady). Not a bad hand, she thought to herself, If things keep going like this, it won't be long before I shut him up. She reached to draw the card for her turn (Cyber Shield). "For my first move, I'll play Harpie Lady (1300/1400) in attack mode, equipping her with the Cyber Shield and Rose Whip cards, bringing her stats up to 2100/1400!" she said, sliding the cards into play. The blue-skinned Harpie appeared on the field, clad in gold armor and clutching a thorny whip in one hand. "Not bad for a first move, eh Keith?" Mai said confidently.

"Not bad, but not good enough," Keith pulled out his next card from his shiny, brand-new looking Duel Disk 2 (Attack and Receive). The machine duelist had just purchased the fine instrument of dueling for this tournament, as he had been slightly too confused to enter Battle City, but now he was cool and confident again, raring to take on the dueling world, "I'll lay two cards face-down (Attack and Receive and The Emperor's Holiday) and play Mechanical Chaser (1850/800) in attack mode!" The machine card appeared on the field, its small yellow body revealing a single eye and four appendages: two long, skinny legs, and two tiny arms (one of which held a spear), "Lastly, I'll play the magic card, Restructor Revolution!"

"Restructor Revolution??" Mai echoed, "Never heard of it – what's it do?"

"Well," Keith said, grinning, "It takes away 200 of your LP for every card you've got in you're hand!"

"What??" Mai said, and watched in dismay as her LP dropped 600 points.

"And I suppose that makes it your turn," Keith said smugly. The score was now: Keith: 4000, Mai: 3400.

"Wow, that sure happened fast," Tea said from the sidelines.

"I guess you'll have to wait to find Kaiba," Tsuki said to Yugi.

"Yeah," he nodded, "But it's okay. There's still plenty of time and besides – this is interesting!"

"Interesting would definitely be the word," Tristan said.

Joey said nothing. He just folded his folded his arms across his chest and turned away, scowling sullenly.

Mai drew her next card (Mirror Wall) and said, "I'll play Gemini Elf (1900/900) in attack mode, and use Harpie Lady to attack your Mechanical Chaser! Not too smart of you, leaving it in attack mode, Keith!"

"No, it was just right. I told you I've been perfecting my skills and I'll prove it!" He clicked a button on his Duel Disk 2, grinning sinisterly, "I activate one of my face-down cards: The Emperor's Holiday! While I was away I picked up some new cards, and this one is just perfect for beating you Valentine! It makes all equip cards useless and that'll lower Harpie's attack power down to 1300, weaker than Mechanical Chaser!" A heavy-set man with a crown and flowing cape appeared out of one of the face-down cards. He raised his scepter, and the whip and gold armor on the Harpie Lady disappeared. Surprised, the blue-skinned winged-beast couldn't break off her attack. The Mechanical Chaser thrust its spear forward and it went right through the beautiful creature. Small trickles of blue blood oozed out where the spear had drilled through it, and it gave Mai a weak smile before shattering into a 1000 pieces. Keith just smirked cockily.

The score was now: Keith: 4000 - Mai: 2850.

Mai was nearly in tears. Her poor, beautiful Harpie…being speared like a wild animal…it was just wrong. "Gemini Elf…" she said, "Avenge the fallen Harpie Lady! Destroy that Mechanical Chaser!!"

The twin elves raced forward, striking the machine monster twice, shattering it. Keith shrugged, "Alright then – I'll activate another trap, the Attack and Receive card!" A card with the image of two fighting Roman Soldiers appeared as Keith explained, "It inflicts 700 points of damage directly to your LP when I lose points because of an attack. Pretty nice, eh? I guess I'm in a sharing-mood." The score adjusted appropriately, expanding Keith's lead: Keith: 3950 - Mai: 2150.

"Uh oh," Tsuki said, "That guy's pretty good."

"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "And Mai will have to watch out – Keith's a notorious cheater."

"You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after Duelist's Kingdom," Tea said.

"People like that never learn," Tristan said, shaking his head, "One an ass, always an ass."

Joey still said nothing, but he cast a glance over at Mai. He could see a bead of sweat trickle down her face but he couldn't be sure if it was from the heat or the pressure. The thought of sweat caused an image of a steamy car window to flash across his mind, but he quickly shook it away. Where had that come from?? He turned his eyes away, not wanting to risk evoking any more hormone-induced thoughts. What had gotten into him lately anyway??

Back on the field, Mai put her hands on her hips, trying not to look too intimidated. "You certainly have improved, Keith," she said, "I'll play one final card face down (Mirror Wall). And that makes it your turn."

"Glad you can see the futility in your struggle here. I'd ask you to surrender, but I think it will be more fun to wipe the sand with your pretty little face," Keith pulled out his next card (Gamma the Magnet Warrior). One down, two to go. And if I can't draw them, there are always other methods… He could feel the set of three magnet warrior cards sitting in the hidden inner pocket of his cloak sleeve. He had had this one made especially for tough spots in duels, and it had certainly worked last duel. Moto and his friends could play by the rules all they wanted to, but it wouldn't take them anywhere in this tournament, "I play one card face-down (Blast Sphere (1400/1400)) and end my turn."

"Just one card face down??" Mai asked, "That's all?? I was really expecting an attack – you seemed so ready to sweep the floor with me. But if that's all you've got…" she shrugged, and picked up a card (Elegant Egotist) "Who am I to argue with fate? I play one face-down as well (Spirit of the Books (1400/800) Go, Gemini Elf! Attack his face down card!"

The twin elves rushed forward once again, overturning the face-down card, out from which emerged a small red sphere with silver spikes extruding from its surface. Before the Gemini Elf could move to strike it, the spikes extended and wrapped around the twins, binding them tightly together with the sphere itself in the center.

"What the??? What is that thing??" Mai asked.

Bandit Keith laughed loudly, "HA HA HA HA! You've attacked the Blast Sphere, one of my favorite machine monsters. Next turn it's going to detonate and take you stupid elves with it." He drew a card (Monster Reborn) This'll help later… "Now, I'll play another card face-down (Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800)) and end my turn,"

"Fine," Mai said. She drew her next card and didn't even get a chance to look at it before the Blast Sphere exploded!! Dust and smoke filled the air and everyone covered their mouths, coughing and sputtering. When the smoke cleared, the Sphere and the elves were gone. Mai heard a small beeping and glanced down at her DD2. Her LP had dropped to 250!!!!

Keith put a hand to his head innocently, "Did I forget to mention that the when the Blast Sphere detonates, it takes the trapped monster's attack points away from you LP?? My bad." His tone was guiltless enough, but the grin on his face gave him completely away.

Mai was still staring at her decimated LP, not able to take her eyes away from the DD2. It was finished…there was no way she'd ever be able to pull back when he had such a big lead… She didn't have any more choice. Slowly, she lifted a trembling hand and moved to place it over her deck.

"Man, Keith's got Mai on the ropes!" Tristan muttered. Yugi nodded slowly. The Duel Monsters champ had to admit, even to himself, that he couldn't see any way out of this for Mai.

Joey, however, noticed what Mai was doing, "HEY! CUT IT OUT MAI! You already took a card this turn! Ya can't tell me that you're surrendering to this jerk?!?!"

Mai stopped just short of touching her deck and looked over at Joey. He was surprised to see tears brimming in her eyes. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, and he could hear her voice shake, "It's not like this would knock me out of the tournament…" Keith had outsmarted her at every turn. She deserved to lose…why wouldn't Joey let Keith put her out of her misery??

"She's right, dork! And besides, she could always knock you out and get her two items back," Keith shrugged his shoulders, growing bored with the delay in his victory.

Joey went ballistic, "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I'VE ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE FINALS OF THIS HERE TOURNAMENT!" Yugi and Tristan had to hold him back from leaping at Keith, "AND DON'T FORGET WHO BOOTED YOU OUTTA DUELIST KINGDOM, CHUMP!"

Tristan had Joey by the arms from behind, "Easy man, just forget about it!"

Joey stopped struggling and turned to look at Mai, "You wanna give up to this loser, then fine. Go ahead, I don't care! Just throw it away why don't you? You with your preaching about how I shouldn't give up in duels like with Mako! You're nothing but a hypocrite!" The angered teen broke out of Tristan's hold and turned away from her, "But the next time yer in trouble, don't come to me, ya hear? I don't ever wanna see your face again, Valentine!" With that, Joey dashed off, tears streaming down his face. His words were probably too harsh, but they had already come out of his mouth and it wasn't like he could take them back now.

Mai was stunned silent. Had he been crying?? Then the full extent of his words sank in and she hung her head. She was being a hypocrite. After all the crap she'd given him about not quitting…here she was about to do the same thing. She was ashamed of herself.

Keith cracked his neck once or twice, then yelled over the Mai, snapping her out of her thoughts, "Forget about that loser! Are we gonna duel, or are you gonna surrender?"

Mai's head shot up, determination in her eyes. "Oh, we'll duel alright, Keith! This isn't over yet!"

Keith lowered his sunglasses incredulously, "It might as well be, with the score you're at."

Mai said nothing, but looked down at the card she'd drawn (Harpie's Brother). It wasn't a bad card, but she couldn't risk anymore of Keith's hidden surprises. "I'll play this card in defense mode (Harpie's Brother (1800/600)), and end my turn," she said, "It's all I can do for now."

Keith shook his sleeve a bit, and Alpha the Magnet Warrior landed in his hand. Just one more turn… "I play another card in defense mode (Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700))!" He looked Mai right in the eyes, trying to intimidate her, "Go ahead! Just try to attack my monsters, if you have the courage. But if you under-estimate my machine monsters, then you'll end up taking you own life points and win this duel for me!"

Mai drew her next card (Harpie Lady), wondering what Keith's angle was. She certainly didn't want him to win through a mistake of her own, so she placed the Harpie Lady (1300/1400) in defense mode and ended her turn.

Keith reached for his deck, and instead of drawing a new card, shook Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) from the hidden pocket in his sleeve. He looked at it, pretending to be curious as to what it was. "Well, what do you know?" he said, "The strategy I've been working on can be put into action! I'll play Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, first. Then, I'll flip both of my defense monsters into attack mode as well." As he slid the cards into play, Alpha the Magnet Warrior and Gamma the Magnet Warrior appeared on the field.

As everyone else glanced at each in confusion, Yugi went pale. "Uh oh…" he murmered, then yelled out, "Mai!! Watch out!! I know what he's up to!! He's planning to –"

"QUIET YOU!!" Keith barked, "I don't want any of your back-seat dueling!"

Yugi quieted dejectedly, but still looking worried.

"Besides," Keith said, "Even if she did know what was coming – there's nothing she could do to stop me!"

"Stop talking about me like I'm not standing right here!" Mai cried angrily, "Just make your move!"

"Fine! I'll sacrifice all three other the magnet warriors… for the strongest monster in my entire deck, Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (3500/3850)!" Instantly, all three of the smaller metal warriors disappeared in a bright flash of light. In their place stood a large, metal, yellow warrior. It had large spikes coming out of its head and two large pink wings and a shiny broad sword.

Keith grinned, he knew that this next move would shock the heck out of her, "Now I'll sacrifice it for my three warriors!" The exact opposite happened, and his three smaller monsters reappeared, sending his monster to the graveyard.

Tristan nearly laughed out loud, "What a moron! He made such a big fuss about that thing and then decided not to even use it! HA!"

Yugi was quiet, a look of concern on his face, "I'm not so sure…"

Mai hadn't seen Yugi's face, or she might have been worried as well. Instead, she had about the same reaction as Tristan had. "What was the point of that??" she asked, "For all your bragging, you just undid what you were planning to do! Is that the end of you're turn now? Or is there more to this ridiculous show??"

Keith pulled a card from his hand and placed it face up on the field, "There's more; much more! I'll use the magic card Monster Reborn, to revive my lost Valkyrion!" The large magnet warrior reappeared next to his smaller cousins, as fierce as he was last time. Keith threw back his head and laughed triumphantly, "You all know what happens now, don't you!?! I sacrifice my three Magnet warriors for another Valkyrion (3500/3850) in attack mode!" For the second time that turn, the three metal creatures disappeared and were replaced by another ultimate magna warrior.

Mai was now staring up at two huge metal monsters, each one with more power than a Blue Eyes White Dragon. Surely there was nothing she could do now. She still had her Mirror Wall trap card down, but she couldn't afford to use it. Ever since Battle City, the ruling on the card had changed to make it less powerful. Now it cost 1000 points to play, and she had only 250 left!

"I had a feeling that was coming…" Yugi said.

"It's hopeless now, isn't it?" Tsuki said sadly.

Tristan shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered, "Maybe she should've given up before…"

Tea didn't say anything. She was watching Mai, and she was seeing something she'd never seen in the older women's eyes before – fear. Mai was truly frightened of losing this duel. Tea couldn't help but wonder why. Could something Joey had said actually gotten to her? It certainly seemed so. All of a sudden, she was filled with some sort of compassion for the woman she had deemed 'slut'. She stepped forward and called out, "Whatever he does Mai, don't give up!"

More than a little surprised, Mai turned to look at the younger girl. "Huh?"

"For Joey's sake – if you're going to go down, at least go down fighting!" Tea told her.

Mai nodded, smiling slightly. Their gazes locked for a brief moment and a connection formed between them that possibly no one else would ever understand completely. "Right," she said, and then turned to face Keith, "Well – what're you waiting for! I know you're dying to attack me – so bring it on!"

"As you wish! Valkyrions! Attack the first two defensive cards!" Both of the two magnet warriors threw their swords in the air and hit them with decisive bolts of magnetism, which allowed them to hover in mid-air. Both of the swords directed themselves through the heart of Spirit of the Books and Harpie's Brother, both of whom appeared for but a moment, and then broke into tiny little holographic bits.

Mai watched her monsters vanish and drew her next card (Commencement Dance Ritual), and glanced at the rest of her hand. The Swords of Revealing Light! Why hadn't she thought of it before?? Perfect, she thought, Now I'll have a chance to regroup – and to use this ritual. I've never actually gotten to draw it before… She looked up, "Alright Keith, I'll play the Swords of Revealing Light, which keeps you from attacking me for three turns."

"So what – you're just prolonging the inevitable," Keith said, but everyone could hear the agitation in his voice, "Is that all?"

"For now," she nodded. Now all she had to do was hope that three turns would be enough time to get the card combo she needed.

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief, "That was a close call," he said.

"Do you really think Mai can come back and win this?" Tea asked.

"I'm not sure," Yugi admitted, "Maybe."

Keith selected a card from his deck (Giga-Tech Wolf). It wouldn't help now, but in a turn he could sacrifice it for another powerful card, the Machine King! "I'll just play this one card face-down (Giga-Tech Wolf (1200/1400)), and switch both of my Valkyrion's to Defense mode (3500/3850)!"

Mai held her breath as she drew her next card (Dian Keto the Cure Master). This was just what she needed. "I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master," she said, laying the card down. A middle-aged being with curly green hair and long robe appeared on the field. In his (A/N: or her??) hands was a clear, glowing sphere. He handed it to Mai and it burst, enveloping her in light. Then her life points were raised up to 1250.

She noticed the Elegant Egotist in her hand and smiled. "Next, I'll flip Harpie Lady into attack mode and then play Elegant Egotist, bringing the Harpie Lady Sisters (1950/2100) in Defense mode to the field!" The three Harpie's appeared on the street in a rush of wind. "And that ends my turn."

The American punk grinned widely, "Good, only two turns to go…" He picked up a card (7 Completed), "HA HA! I'm sacrificing my Giga-Tech Wolf for the Machine King (2400/2400)!" He grinned as his small, robotic dog disappeared and was replaced by the king of all machines! Bandit Keith folded his arms across his chest and chuckled, "Why don't you just give up Valentine? In one more turn it'll all be over anyway!"

"We'll see," Mai said, drawing her next card (Harpie's Feather Duster), "Ha! Here Keith – have a taste of my Harpie's power: I use the Magic Card Harpie's Feather Duster to wipe out your trap card!" All of the Harpie's grew a new set of wings and shot the feathers out, raining down on Keith's side of the field, and breaking his relaxing Emperor into hundreds of tiny holographic shards.

He shrugged and sighed boredly, "So? That won't help you in the long run. Is it my turn yet?"

Mai glowered at the American, then shook her head slightly, "No, I'll switch my Harpie Lady to defense mode as well." The last of the four ladies wrapped herself in her blue wings, which were once again the only pair she owned.

Keith pulled out a card from his deck (Snatch Steal). Perfect! Even though this card will give Mai 1000 points each turn that I control one of her monsters, I have more than enough fire power to make up for the difference! "I'll equip my Machine King with the magic card 7 Completed, raising his attack power to 3100! Thanks for getting rid of my trap, it was holding me back as well! Guess that I'll just end my turn here, getting rid of your pathetic Swords!" The Swords of Revealing Light faded away around his monsters, which righted themselves slightly.

Mai's hand shook slightly as she reached to draw her next card. If it wasn't the one she needed, her stalling would've been for nothing. She held her breath…and drew Pot of Greed. A genuine smile spread across her face. "I'm playing Pot of Greed, Keith," she said, "which lets me draw two new cards."

"Whatever," Keith said, waving a hand nonchalantly.

Mai's next two cards were exactly what she needed: Performance of Sword and Monster Reborn. "Now it's my turn to give you a show, Keith. I'll activate my Commencement Dance Ritual, sacrificing the Harpie Lady Sisters and the Harpie Lady herself for the Performance of Sword (1950/1850)!" She laid the cards down and the most amazing holographic spectacle the gang had ever seen began.

A tan-skinned, red-haired woman in Arabian garb appeared on the field in a puff of purple smoke. As soon as her feet hit the dusty ground, snake-charmer music began drifting out of Mai's DD2, and the woman began a very graceful (yet provocative) dance.

Tristan quickly stuffed tissues in his nose to stop the bleeding, and then moved to cover Yugi's eyes, which were as wide as dinner plates. Both boys were very red. Tea frowned, a sweatdrop forming on her head.

The woman danced her way over to all four Harpie Ladies, blowing purple smoke at them. The smoke engulfed the four creatures and then the woman herself stepped inside. When the smoke cleared, a new woman stood where there had once been many others. She had on the same Arabian garb as the dancer had, but had pale skin, and her bare arms were more toned. Her hair was a faded magenta, and in each hand, she held sharp swords.

Keith was unimpressed, "That's it? You made me wait for this weakling?"

Mai folded her arms, almost pouting, "You shouldn't underestimate any of my monsters, Keith. Now I'll use Monster Reborn to take back my Harpie Lady Sisters! I end my turn!

"Yeah and pretty soon I'll end the game!!" He grabbed his card (DNA Surgery), and grinned, "I'll play one card face-down, then a magic card: Snatch Steal!" A man in blue-green garb and a yellow helmet rushed out of the card and became a blur rushing around Mia's Harpie's Sisters. As if on command, the three picked up the man and flew over to Keith's side of the field, then settled down again. The older man grinned as he watched Mai's expression.

She frowned. It didn't matter just yet. As long as she could afford her Mirror Wall, she'd be alright. But that would only last for one turn. What then?

"Even though you'll gain 1000 points per turn as long as I control your monster, this gives me more than enough fire power to decimate you!" Keith moved his Valkyrion's slightly and both switched into attack mode, "Now, Valkyrion, attack her Performance of Sword! Finish this match!" The magna warrior took flight, its sword raised.

Mai smiled, and pressed a button on her Duel Disk 2. Her Mirror Wall flipped face-up.

Keith gasped surprised, "WHAT?!?!? NO!!!" His monster thrust its blade forward and a mirror reflection of itself appeared in front of the ritual creature. Both broke away and the American's monster fell to its knees back next to the rest of Keith's monsters, its attack points cut in half (1750/3850).

Mai clenched her fists triumphantly, "Now it's my turn, and since your Snatch Steal raises my LP by 1000, I can still pay to keep my Mirror Wall!" She drew her card (Magician of Faith (300/400)), "I'll play this monster in face-down defense mode, and attack your weakened Valkyrion with my Performance of Sword!"

Performance of Sword rushed forward. Valkyrion raised its sword to defend itself, but the woman cut through it with her first sword. Then she raised her second sword and sliced off the magna warrior's head. The head bounced and rolled to a stop at Keith's feet before disintegrating. The score changed slightly: Keith: 3750 – Mai: 1250.

Rage filled the adult American, "How dare you insult my machines like that?!" he spat, eyes flashing dangerously. I've locked myself in! As long as I have control of her Harpie Lady Sisters, she can pay for that Mirror Wall, which makes my monsters unable to attack! Damn it! He picked up his next card violently (Machine Conversion Factory), "Excellent! First off, I activate my trap: DNA Surgery. This will change all of the monsters on the field into machines, raising my Machine King's attack power to 3400!" Keith grinned as the three alien doctors appeared on the field and began to violently work on the monsters of the field, changing them all to the type that he had designated. This had very little effect on his Valkyrion (because rock and machine are so similar in Duel Monsters) but there was a tremendous amount going on with the winged-beasts of the game.

All of Mia's monsters looked like they had been Robotisized (A/N: Like in the "Sonic" cartoon, remember??) Keith grinned at the horrified look on his opponent's face. "Then I'll equip him with Machine conversion factory to further increase his power (3700/2300)! Lastly, I'll switch my remaining Valkyrion into defense mode."

"Whoa…that's freaky," Tristan said.

"I wonder how Keith plans to get past the mirror wall…" murmured Yugi, "Even with its attack increased, it won't break through the trap."

"I guess we'll find out," Tea said.

"My turn again," Mai said, "And I'll flip up my down monster, the Magician of Faith. A metalisized version of Tea's favorite card stood up, now emotionless and stiff. Machine King's power rose again, now to 3800. "And even though it raises Machine King's power, it allows me to take back a magic card from my graveyard!"

Mai placed her reclaimed Monster Reborn on the field, "I'm going to use this again to take back your lost Valkyrion (3500/3850)!" The magna warrior locked itself in attack position, ready to strike at her command, "That'll end my turn, Keith! The outcome of this match isn't so certain anymore, now is it? I now control one of your ultimate monsters, and one of the most powerful monsters ever to exist in Duel Monsters!"

"Wow!" Tea said, "That was awesome!"

"It was a smart move," Yugi said, "But I'm afraid it won't be enough…"

Keith growled softly, then shook it off, "So? When you summoned that monster, you increased my Machine King's attack power to 3900! That's more than enough to take care of my own prized monster!" He drew a card (Launcher Spider) and sighed. No good. He needed to undo his own mistake or risk letting Mai get more chances to steal this game back. The machine master knew that she had cards other than Mirror Wall that could defeat him, "Your turn," Keith told Mai curtly, staring intently at the field (so as to avoid any human contact).

Mai drew her next card (Shadow of Eyes). A lot of good that did her – Keith didn't have any face-down defense-mode monsters on the field. But it was fine with her. As long as Keith kept control of her Harpie Lady Sisters, she'd be able to pay for Mirror Wall. He'd locked himself in and had no way to get out. All she had to do was wait until she found a way to attack. "I'll lay this face down (Shadow of Eyes) and end my turn," she said.

Keith picked up his card (Curse of Fiend) and cursed softly, "I'll play a card face-down as well (Curse of Fiend)."

Mai sighed, aggravated. This duel was going nowhere now. Keith wasn't dumb enough to attack as long as her Wall was up, and she didn't have a monster strong enough to beat his monsters. Actually, she could destroy her own Harpie Lady Sisters, but that would just get rid of the Snatch Steal card, and she'd no longer be able to pay for her Mirror Wall. She drew her next card (Mirror Force). This wasn't needed now – because Keith would never attack as long as the Wall was standing, but it might come in handy later. So she just held it in her hand and declared her turn over.

Tristan looked over at Yugi with line-dot eyes, "Is it just me, or has this become 'The Duel That Wouldn't End'?"

Yugi nodded, a sweatdrop forming on his head, "Yeah…I certainly hope either Mai or Keith has a way to get past the stalemate."

Keith drew (Pendulum Machine), "Perfect! I'll tribute my Harpie Lady Sisters for a monster in defense mode (Pendulum Machine (1750/2000)). Not only does that destroy one of your most powerful monsters, but more importantly it destroys my Snatch Steal! You can pay 1000 this turn, but not next, and then you're finished!" Finally, the duel would be over. He couldn't believe that she'd been able to hang on this long, but now she was living on borrowed time behind a temporary shield.

Mai gasped slightly. It was true. After this turn, she couldn't afford the wall anymore (she was back to only 250 LP) – but maybe it was just as well. She still had her Mirror Force. Maybe that would prove useful. She drew her next card (Heavy Storm). She broke into a wide grin as a plan began forming in her head. "I'll play Heavy Storm, destroying all Magic and Trap cards on the field!"

As soon as she laid the card down, dark clouds rumbled overhead. Winds swirled around them, and rain pelted down. A bolt of lighting struck the ground between the two duelists and all the magic/trap cards were sent to the graveyard.

Mai brushed her dripping hair out of her face and said, "Now that your Machine King is only at 3200, that makes him fair game for my Valkyrion! Go, attack!"

Valkyrion flew forward, striking down Machine King with one swift stroke of his blade. Keith's LP dropped to 3450.

On the sidelines, Tea moaned, "I'm soaked…"

"Whatever happened to this being just a hologram?" Tristan asked irritable, shaking his head like a dog, and splattering the others with water.

"And lastly, I'll place this card face down (Mirror Force)," Mai said, "And that makes it your turn."

Yugi said nothing. His focus remained on the duel, his eyes on the card Mai had placed face down. What could she be planning?

Keith cussed loudly as he selected the top card from his Duel Disk 2, now covered in the sand and dust from the wind. That was two of his four most powerful monsters gone! He looked at the card (Seven Tools of the Bandit). It was a trap, so if she had a trap down now, he couldn't stop it! "I end my turn by playing one card face-down (Seven Tools)."

Mai frowned. Why wasn't he attacking?? As far as he knew – her only defense was gone! His remaining Valkyrion could easily destroy her Performance of Sword! What was he waiting for? And what was that card that he'd put face down? Some kind of trap to match hers? She might never know. And she couldn't risk attacking again – not just yet. She drew her card (Kanan the Swordsmistress (1400/1400)), "I'll play this card in defense-mode, switch Performance of Sword to defense, and end my turn."

Keith drew a card from his thinning deck (Guardian of the Throne Room), "I'll play a monster in Defense mode. Next, I'll change Pendulum Machine to attack mode, and use Valkyrion to attack the Valkyrion that you stole from me! It'll destroy both monsters!"

"Which activates my Mirror Force trap card –" Mai started.

"Which, in turn, activates my own trap card, Seven Tools of the Bandit!" Keith cut it, "In exchange for 1000 points, it negates the effects of your trap!"

Mai watched in dismay as the Valkyrions destroyed each other, and was only consoled a little when Keith's LP dropped to 2450. Her plan had failed and he was still holding a big lead.

"Next," Keith said, "I'll use Pendulum Machine to attack you're face-down card!" The red-colored machine swooped over and destroyed Kanan (which appeared on the field only for a split second before breaking up into a million pieces. "I believe that makes it you're turn," Keith said snidely, "Not that it really matters."

Mai sighed and drew her next card (Nobleman of Crossout). "I'll play this Magic card – the Nobleman of Crossout, destroying your face-down monster." Keith's Guardian of the Throneroom was sent directly to the Graveyard. "Next, I'll switch Performance of Sword to attack mode, and use her to put and end to your Pendulum Machine!"

Performance of Sword made quick work of Pendulum Machine and Keith's LP dropped to 2250.

No monsters on the field. No magic or trap cards on the field. One worthless card in his hand. And as he drew his card, Keith began to sweat even more (Tailor of the Fickle), "I… end my turn…"

Mai drew her next card (Red Archery Girl). "I'll play Read Archery Girl (1400/1500) in attack mode – and end this duel once and for all!"

Both of Mai's monsters rushed across the field, striking at Keith one after the other. He was thrown backwards and his LP dropped to zero. The field emptied as the DD2s deactivated themselves. It was over.

Mai breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned to smile at Yugi, Tristan and Tea, who were cheering on the sidelines.

Keith's eyes reddened with madness. Images of the past flashed through his mind. His humiliation at Duelist Kingdom, being mind-controlled by the freak that found him, missing Battle City to be in a psychiatric ward. All hell broke loose in his still unstable mind as the loss soaked into his brain.

The body reacted differently, pulling out the gold chain he had been give and pulling off two items, "Heh heh… boy, what a duel! I guess I still have some improving to do… boy did your monsters pack a wallop Valentine! Mind helping me up? So I can give you your items you won an' all…" While he held out a hand and waited for her, his other hand had slipped into his sleeve and down to his shin (all of which was covered by his cloak). He unholstered his .38 Wolfram and slipped his arm back into his sleeve, being careful not to let his hand or the gun show.

Mai shrugged and crossed the field. "So you're going to take this defeat like a man, are you?" she said, "That's certainly an improvement." She reached him in no time and willingly took hold of the hand he was offering her.

Without a word, and in a movement so fast that no one had a chance to react to it, Keith was on his feet, one arm around Mai's neck, holding her tight, while the other hand put the pistol up against her head.