The Rare Hunter had just finished tying Shayla to a chair on top of a
skyscraper. Mokuba had been dragged off to a different place. From what
Shayla understood, this was where the double duel was taking place.
Something about it had been rigged. And she was going to be a 'visual
incentive' for Yu-Gi and Kaiba to comply. That, she couldn't understand,
considering she wasn't very close to either of them.
She heard footsteps racing up the stairs. Yu-Gi and Seto had arrived.
"Shayla!" they yelled when they both saw her. She gave a weak nodded. She was still scared out of her mind.
"Where are the others?" demanded Yu-Gi.
At the same time Kaiba said, "Where is Mokuba?"
"They will be fine, if you win," said one of the Rare Hunters.
Shayla began to piece together the lay out of the roof, judging from the sounds and voices. Farthest from her was the staircase. Then came Kaiba and Yu-Gi. In the middle was a dueling arena. Then came the three Rare Hunters, guarding her from them. She had a vague idea that she was only fifteen feet from the edge of the roof. That fact wasn't helping her nerves.
"We will be playing a double duel, just like last time," said Lumis as he stepped forward.
"But this time we won't lose! We will claim your god cards for Master Marik," added Umbra as he stepped forward as well. The other rare hunter stayed close, so Shayla assumed he was guarding her.
"Where is Mokuba?" asked Kaiba with gritted teeth.
"If you win, you'll find your loved ones," said Lumis. "But you won't win. Our decks have been modified since our last duel. Even with your god cards you can't beat us."
"Shall we begin? The arena has been set," said Umbra. He gestured to the glassy sunroof. "But there is one thing you should know about this duel. The stakes are even higher than you realize."
"The surface that you are standing on will be destroyed if a player's life points hit 0. If that happens you have a 50 story fall, right into a vortex that will seal you in the Shadow Realm forever!" said Lumis, gleefully.
"The Shadow Realm?!" gasped Shayla. "Not this again!"
"Shut up!" snapped the rare hunter who was near her. "You are to be seen and not heard."
Shayla felt a strong hand on the back of the chair she was sitting in. That only sent her nerves into overdrive.
"Enough talk!" snapped Yu-Gi. "We will play your game. But you must keep your end of the bargain and give back our friends and family when we win."
"So confident..... You have no idea what is in store for you," said Umbra, dangerously.
"Then let's begin," said Lumis. "I'll go first. I play two cads, face down."
"That's it?" retorted Kaiba.
"I'll go," said Yu-Gi. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode." His metal monster appeared. It looked like it's name suggests, a magnet. Several stuck out from various parts of its body. Its stats were 1700 and 1600.
"And since it is tag team rules, no one can attack until each player has had a turn. That makes it my turn," said Umbra. "I summon Shining Abyss in attack mode." The Shining Abyss could best be described as a weird version of an angel. Its attack was 1600 and its defense was 1800.
"Now, I'll activate Mask of Brutality!" said Lumis as he used one of his set magic cards. "This card raises Shining Abyss's attack by 1000."
Both Yu-Gi and Kaiba glared it down, analyzing it for any weakness.
"The only problem with Mask of Brutality is that it costs 1000 life points for me to keep it in play, each turn," continued Lumis. "That is why I activate my second magic card, Mask Puppet, which allows me to cancel that cost."
"How the......" muttered Kaiba. It was obvious by their expression that both god card holders were nervous. Already their opponents had a monster with 2600 attack points on the field.
"My turn," said Kaiba. "I play Vorse Raider." His reptilian warrior appeared with stats of 1900 and 1200. "As soon as I can tribute my weaker monsters, my stronger ones will finish Umbra and Lumis once for all and free Mokuba. There is no way these two amateurs can stand up to Obelisk. Yu-Gi had better thank me when I win this duel for him."
"Kaiba," said Yu-Gi. "We are going to have to work together to beat them. This won't be as easy as the last time."
"Huff......"
"It is my turn again, and now the real fun begins," said Lumis. "I play Mask of the Accursed on your magnet warrior!" Lumis threw his magic card on his duel disk. Instantly the holograms reacted and a strange, primitive mask formed around Beta.
"What does it do?" asked Yu-Gi as Beta went limp.
"It prevents your monsters from....." Shayla started to warn them.
"I said quiet!" snapped the rare hunter who was by her.
SMACK! He hit her, right across the face. Shayla did stop talking, again stunned and afraid.
"How dare they....." growled Seto, his free hand tightening into a fist. He clenched it so tight, in fact, that crescent marks were forming on his palms. Yu-Gi looked just as mad, his eyes had narrowed into thin slits.
"As the lady was saying, Mask of the Accursed stops your monster from attacking or defending," continued Lumis. X's appeared where the stats of Beta should have been. It was now just dead weight. "What is even better, Mask of the Accursed drains 500 life points from you at the beginning of each of your turns."
"That can't......" muttered Yu-Gi, looking at his helpless monster.
"I'll set one more magic card and end my turn," said Lumis. "It's your turn, Yu-Gi, and the Mask of the Accursed drains 500 life points!" Yu-Gi now had 3500 life points.
"They have got to have a weakness," thought Yu-Gi. "All I have to do is find it....... That's it! Lumis has only been playing magic and trap cards, while Umbra is the one playing the monsters. That has got to be their strategy!"
"If Yu-Gi tributes his monster, he won't have to worry about Mask of the Accursed any more," thought Kaiba. "Let's see if he realizes that."
"I know what I am going to do....." thought Yu-Gi, realizing the same thing. Then he announced, "I'll tribute Beta the Magnet Warrior for the Gilfar Demon!" He put the stronger monster card on his duel disk.
"Not so fast!" exclaimed Lumis. "You walked right into my trap."
"A trap card?!"
"I activate Mask of Restrict, which prevents both of you from tributing your monsters for stronger ones," gloated Lumis.
"And without the ability to summon any strong monsters on the field, your god cards are useless. You will not be able to withstand our attacks!" added Umbra.
"No......" moaned Shayla, slightly. "This can't be happening..... Not again......"
"How could this happen?!" steamed Seto. "This is all Yu-Gi's fault. I don't need him. I don't need anyone. I'll win this duel alone and save my brother."
"Grrrrr," growled Yu-Gi. "I summon Kuriboh in defense mode." His hairball with weak stats of 300 and 200 appeared next to the useless Beta. "Then I'll set one magic card to end my turn." He turned his attention to Kaiba. "Kaiba we are going to have to work together if we ever want to see our loved ones again. Umbra and Lumis have worked together so far. If we do not do the same we will lose."
"Yu-Gi, save it," snapped Kaiba. "I don't need your help. I'll win this on my own."
"My turn," announced Umbra. "I'd better be careful, Kaiba has those two magic cards."
"Don't worry," a voice said in his ear. It was Lumis and they were talking via a hidden microphone. "I'll deal with Kaiba's magic cards. Crush him!"
"Right!" agreed Umbra.
Shayla could hear slight mumbling from her position. But she had no idea what to make of it. But that was the last thing on her mind. She was too busy worrying about Mokuba, the two duelists, and herself to care.
"Shining Abyss, attack!" ordered Umbra. The Shining Abyss charged forward, aiming for Kaiba.
"Reveal face down card, Bell of Destruction!" yelled Kaiba as one of his cards was revealed. A large ring with several green bells circled the Shining Abyss's neck.
"What?" gasped Umbra.
"It will destroy your monster and take away its attack points from your life points," said Kaiba.
"Not today!" countered Lumis. "I activate Move the Trap, which moves your Bell of Destruction to your Vorse Raider! Now, you'll lose your monster and 1900 life points!"
The Bell of Destruction disappeared from the Shining Abyss to Kaiba's Vorse Raider. There, both the monster and the trap exploded.
"Defense Wheel!" yelled Kaiba as he flipped over his remaining magic card. "Defense Wheel will reflect this damage back to you, Umbra!"
"Then I counter with Move the Spell!" shouted Lumis. "This moves the damage back to you, Kaiba!" Kaiba now had 2100 life points and no monsters or magic on the field. He was defenseless.
"Shining Abyss, continue your attack! Finish him!" ordered Umbra, smugly.
"No!" gasped Shayla.
Kaiba's eyes went wide as the monster closed in for its attack.
WOOOSH! Suddenly the field was covered by dozens of Kuribohs, some of which took the attack, saving Kaiba.
"What?!" gasped the rare hunters.
"Yu-Gi, I said I don't want your help!" snapped Kaiba.
"Kaiba, we are a team, and if one of us falls so will the other," said Yu- Gi.
"So he's only doing this for himself, I thought so," thought Kaiba.
"Listen to me, Kaiba," continued Yu-Gi. "We have to work as a team. Next time I'm in trouble you are going to have to be there to save me. Otherwise, I might not be there to save you again."
"This is certainly interesting," said Umbra.
"Huff...." muttered Kaiba.
"Take your turn already!" snapped Lumis.
"Are you that eager to be defeated?" asked Kaiba as he drew his next card. "One of my Blue-Eyes! But thanks to Yu-Gi, it is useless."
"The Blue-Eyes....." muttered Shayla, something snapping inside of her. Her head dropped to her chest as she almost passed out. She began to hear things, too, things that weren't from anything she knew.
"Monsters? In stone? But how?!"
"He's called one of them out! This has to be that dark magic Ishizu warned me about!"
"Look at how big that monster is! I have to do something! I have to tell someone!"
"It doesn't matter any more....." *Sob*
"NO..... DON'T!"
Shayla didn't remember what happened in the duel after that. (AN/ But since I like this duel so much, I am going to finish it.)
"I play Battle Ox in defense mode, with one magic card," announced Kaiba as he placed his monster. It looked like a large bull wearing red armor. It held a large battle ax and had stats of 1700 and 1000. All around it the Kuribohs were multiplying.
"For my next turn I play Mask of Dispel," announced Lumis. "That negates the effect of your Multiply, reducing all your Kuribohs back to one!"
"What?!"
"No!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"But that isn't the end," continued Lumis. "This card will also cause you to lose 500 life points per turn!"
"You might as well give up," said Umbra.
"Now, I summon Grand Tiki Leader to the field!" continued Lumis. His first monster appeared. It looked like a primitive witch doctor with an attack of 1500 and a defense of 800. "Destroy the remaining Kuriboh!" A moment later Yu-Gi's monster disappeared with a flash of light.
It was now Yu-Gi's turn and both masks activated, draining him of 1000 life points. He was left with 2500 life points total. He drew his next card.
"Dang it! I don't have any low level monsters left. And without any monsters on the field, I'll have no way of protecting my life points. I do have Card Destruction. I could activate it and draw a new hand. But that will force everyone to draw a new hand. And if Kaiba has a plan, I could be jeopardizing our only way to win!" thought Yu-Gi. He paused a moment, considering what to do.
"Yu-Gi," called Kaiba. "You'd better not screw up like last time. I have a card that could save us. But thanks to you, it is better off in the graveyard."
"They are arguing again!" chimed Lumis.
"This is going to work to our advantage. We can crush them!" added Umbra.
"I place one magic card and end my turn," said Yu-Gi. "Kaiba, you'd better come through for me, or else this duel is going to be over fast!"
"Then I activate Curse of the Masked Beast!" announced Umbra. "It is a ritual card! We tribute both our Shining Abyss and Grand Tiki Leader to summon The Masked Beast!" The Masked Beast appeared. (AN/ Sorry, I forgot what it looks like.) Its attack was 3200 and its defense was 1800.
"There is nothing you can do to stop it!" gloated Lumis. "It will crush you! Then we will claim your god cards for Master Marik!"
"Impossible......" gasped Kaiba.
"Kaiba, if we work together, we can beat it!" said Yu-Gi, as determined as ever.
"You won't beat it, because you are done for!" shouted Umbra. "With no monsters to defend you, your life points will disappear. And when that happens it is a one way trip to the Shadow Realm! Say good-bye, Yu-Gi! Attack, Masked Beast!" The beast charged forward, bent on destroying Yu- Gi's life points. Yu-Gi cringed as it got closer.
"Block it, Battle Ox!" ordered Kaiba. His monster dove in the way and took the attack full on. It disappeared into dust.
"Kaiba!" gasped Yu-Gi, surprised.
"Don't think this means we are a team," said Kaiba. "I only did it to repay you for your Kuriboh. There is one thing I hate more than anything else and that is being in debt to someone."
"How did that happen?" asked Umbra, shocked. "Why were they working together?"
"I don't know," replied Lumis, who was equally surprised. "We'd better finish them, and fast!"
"Well, since an attack was ordered, I activate Card Destruction!" announced Yu-Gi.
"What!?" gasped the two rare hunters.
"It forces us to discard our hands and draw five new cards," announced Yu- Gi. The players did this.
"This is awful," thought the rare hunters. "There were cards I needed in there."
"Perfect," thought Kaiba. "So Yu-Gi did take the hint. Now we will soon see the power of my Blue-Eyes."
"We are still in this. Putting my Gilfar Demon in the graveyard will come in handy," thought Yu-Gi.
"My turn," said Kaiba, smiling. "You are about to face the might of my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"You can't do that!" shouted Lumis. "Or have you forgotten about Mask of Restrict? You can't tribute any monsters!"
"There's more than one way to get a powerful monster on the field," said Kaiba, confidently. "I activate Monster Reborn and revive the Blue-Eyes that was sent to the graveyard!"
"No! This can't be happening!" gasped Umbra. "Lumis! You said this wouldn't happen!"
"It....it wasn't supposed to!" gasped Lumis.
The Blue-Eyes loomed over them, ready for action. Its stats, though, still weren't as strong as The Masked Beast, at 3000 and 2500.
"Do you think you can withstand the might of my dragon?" asked Kaiba.
"You can't hope to win by attacking us!" yelled Umbra. "Our monster is still 200 attack points stronger than yours. You haven't won nothing!"
"Ignore them, Kaiba, and attack!" said Yu-Gi.
"But...." stammered Seto, examining the situation. "Why would he tell me to attack, unless he wanted me to get destroyed? No, that wouldn't benefit him in anyway. And, he does want to get his friends back, that is his motivation. Why would he tell me to attack, it doesn't make sense?! ....Unless he has some kind of trap.... But should I trust him? He's no sham duelist, not like that Joe..... But if I lose my chance at freeing Mokuba, he is going to regret it."
"Don't worry, attack!" said Yu-Gi.
"Fine, but you'd better know what you are doing," snapped Kaiba. "Blue- Eyes, attack with your White Lightning!"
Thunder showered the area, striking The Masked Beast. It burst into dust and disappeared, taking 300 life points away from Umbra.
"What happened?!" gasped Lumis.
"That's impossible!" gaped Umbra.
"No its not," said Yu-Gi. "When I sent my Gilfar Demon to the graveyard last turn, its special ability drained 500 attack points from your Masked Beast, making it weaker than Kaiba's dragon. Don't you see, Kaiba, that is why we need to work together."
"Huff....." protested Kaiba. "I'll never work with anyone ever again. Does Yu-Gi think he can tell me what to do? It isn't going to happen. I have no need to take orders from him. I can win this duel on my own. I don't need him. He is following his own agenda. He has his own priorities, and I will not be used by him."
"So you beat The Masked Beast. This duel is far from over, and we still have the edge in life points," cackled Lumis. "And now I play three cards, all face down. Two are magic and one is a monster. It is your turn, Yu- Gi. And don't forget, you lose 100 life points from the two mask cards placed on you!"
"What could those cards be?" wondered Yu-Gi. "I'd better be careful, Umbra and Lumis are tricky. And Kaiba...... who know what he is thinking?" Yu- Gi checked his hand before playing his next turn. His life points were now at 1500.
"I play one card, then I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode," announced Yu-Gi as he placed the cards on the duel disk. Alpha appeared, next to the useless Beta. They looked close enough that they could be cousins, except Alpha's magnets were in different places. Its stats were 1400 and 1700.
"Now that I have a monster to attack, I will," announced Yu-Gi. "Alpha, attack his face down monster card!" Alpha charged forward, electricity crackling around it. In another display of fireworks the card hologram disappeared.
"Dang it!" thought Lumis. "I could have used my magic cards to save it. But I need to have some defense against that Blue-Eyes!"
"Lumis could have stopped him, but he is saving the magic cards," thought Umbra. "It must be for the dragon. Well, Lumis had better come through if Kaiba decides to attack me."
"For my turn I summon Rogue Doll in attack mode," declared Umbra. His monster appeared. It was hard to make out its body, because it was wrapped in such a large robe. Only a small, pale head poked out. Its attack was 1600.
"Is that the best monster you have?" asked Kaiba, who was clearly unimpressed.
"Kaiba, be careful," said Yu-Gi. "They are planning something." He suspiciously eyes the two set magic cards on Lumis's side of the field.
"Your partner has good points," sneered Umbra. "It would be in your best interest to listen to him every know and the. Now, Rogue Doll, attack the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"You're insane!" snapped Seto.
"Watch as I activate Mask of Weakness," cackled Lumis. "This lowers your monster's attack power by 700 points!" Another mask former on the dragon.
"What?! No!" gasped Kaiba.
"Now, I activate the Mask of Brutality, to raise the attack of Rogue Doll to 2600!" said Lumis, gleefully. "Say good-bye to your dragon!"
"No......" muttered Kaiba, never imagining him monster could be destroyed by such a weaker monster.
"It's not over yet!" said Yu-Gi. "I activate Fairy's Hand Mirror, to redirect your Mask of Brutality to Kaiba's Blue-Eyes!"
"What?!" gasped the two rare hunters as the mask disappeared off of their monster and formed on the Blue-Eyes, raising its attack to 3300.
"Wow......." thought Kaiba. "Dang it! It looks like I owe Yu-Gi again."
The two monsters fought, because it was too late to call of the attack. The Rogue Doll vanished, leaving Umbra with 2000 life points.
"Lumis, this is your fault!" snapped Umbra. "Your magic cards failed me!"
"What?!" gasped Lumis. "No! It's not my fault your monster was too weak."
"This is interesting....." thought Yu-Gi as he watched them fight.
"Can I trust Lumis any more to come through for me?" Umbra asked himself. "He's failed me once. I have to be careful in case he makes any more mistakes. I am not going to be the one to lose all my life points. I am going to have to defend myself."
"I play one card face down to end my turn," he declared.
"My turn," said Kaiba. "And with no monsters in play, your life points are easy prey for my Blue-Eyes. Finish him, White Lightning!"
"Iron Wall Mask!" announced Umbra, flipping over his magic card. "This blocks me from your attack!"
"Thank goodness......" muttered Lumis, happy that his partner was still in the game.
"Why are you happy?" asked Kaiba. "Do you think Umbra would have used his magic card to save you if I ordered my Blue-Eyes to attack you?"
"What?!" demanded Umbra. "Of course I would, Lumis."
"Do you really think he'd leave himself defenseless like that?" continued Kaiba. "That is why you can never trust people. They always have their own motives, their own reasons for doing things. The only one you can trust is yourself."
"Don't listen to him, Lumis!" insisted Umbra. But it was too late, the seed of doubt had been planted.
"Kaiba may be right," thought Lumis. "I am going to have to win this alone. Umbra probably wants to beat Kaiba and Yu-Gi and give their god cards to Master Marik himself. He doesn't care what happens to me in the process!"
"My turn," said Lumis, through gritted teeth. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!" He did and looked over his hand, which only consisted of those two cards.
"Dang it! There is still nothing here I can use! But wait....." he thought. "I place one card down, then I activate Hand Exchange!"
Kaiba and Yu-Gi gasped.
"In a normal duel, this magic card forces the players to swap hands. But since this is a double duel, I can trade hands with any other player," explained Lumis. "And I chose you, Umbra."
"What?! Me?!" gasped Umbra. "But......But......"
"Come on, Umbra, trade!" insisted Lumis. They did, Umbra grumbling the entire time.
"Now, I reveal my face down card, which is Chosen One!" announced Lumis. "First, I set all the cards I got from Umbra." Umbra growled. "Then the spinner spins and one card is chosen randomly. If it is the monster card I set, then it is summoned onto the field without paying any tributes. But if it is one of the other cards they are all sent to the graveyard."
"You'd better know what you are doing!" yelled Umbra. "Those are my cards your gambling with!"
"Quiet! The spinner is stopping!" snapped Lumis. Slowly the holographic dial stopped, pointing to a card hologram.
"It worked! It worked!" cheered Lumis. "Now face the wrath of the Masked Beast Des Guardius!" Their next masked monster appeared. It was tall, but now towering like the Blue-Eyes. It wore a pale blue, simple mask. Two other similar masks were on either side of the first. Its stats were 3300 and 2500.
"This is bad....." thought Kaiba and Yu-Gi.
"We can still win this!" thought Yu-Gi. "But all I need is my next turn!"
"It's almost over!" cackled Lumis. "Say good-bye, Yu-Gi."
"No!" exclaimed Umbra. "Take out the Blue-Eyes, it is the biggest threat. There is plenty of time to finish Yu-Gi later!"
"We can crush him now!" said Lumis, angrily.
"That's because you know you can't take on my dragon," said Kaiba. "It's too much for you."
"Take that back!" demanded Lumis.
"Why? It's true," continued Kaiba, coolly. "What serious duelist can resist flexing his muscles? I dare you, see if you can stand up to the might of my dragon!"
"Have it your way!" yelled Lumis. "I will crush you! Attack the Blue- Eyes, my beautiful masked beast!" The Masked Beast Des Guardius charged forward, slicing through the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The Blue-Eyes disappeared in a flash of light.
"Hahahahahahaha! See!" gloated Lumis. Kaiba clenched his fist tighter.
"My turn, and you have made your last mistake," said Yu-Gi as his life points dropped to 500, thanks to the masks placed on him.
"You can't hope to beat the masked beast!" countered Umbra. "You can't summon a monster strong enough!"
"There is more than one way to get powerful monsters on the field," said Yu- Gi. "Now watch as I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior!" Gamma appeared between Alpha and Beta. It was more squat than the two, but it was clear they were very similar. Its stats were 1500 and 1800.
"Then, I activate their special ability," continued Yu-Gi. "Watch as they fuse together to create Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior!" Magnetic sparks flew as the three magnet warriors fused together to create a monster with stats of 3500 and 3850.
"Now crush them Yu-Gi," said Kaiba. "Crush them and avenge my Blue-Eyes!"
"While my monster does have more attack points then theirs, they don't seem worried. Does the masked beast have a special ability I don't know about?" wondered Yu-Gi.
"Kaiba, anger will only lead to hasty decisions and mistakes," said Yu-Gi as he set one magic card.
"I sacrifice my Blue-Eyes for you!" snapped Kaiba. "Finish them now!"
"There may be another way to win this," said Yu-Gi, quietly.
"The only sure way to win is to summon Obelisk," thought Kaiba as he looked at the god card in his hand. "But I can't tribute any of my monsters to summon it! Wait! I can! The answer is right in front of my eyes!" Kaiba started at a magic card in his hand. "But I am going to have to trust Yu-Gi to sacrifice him monster...... I don't want to trust him, but if its the only way to get Mokuba back......."
"Now attack, Valkyrion!" ordered Yu-Gi. His monster charged forward, right through Masked Beast Des Guardius. That masked monster fell, and so did 200 of Lumis's life points.
"Ha!" laughed Lumis. All that was left on the field from the masked beast was its three masks. "Watch! These three masks meld together to form a new mask. That mask then allows me to control any one of your monsters. And since you only have one, Valkyrion is mine!" The new masked flew through the air and latched onto Valkyrion, who then walked over to Lumis's side of the field.
"Now we will end this," said Umbra. "I activate Masquerade, which lets me jointly control Valkyrion. And I will use your own monster to crush you, Yu-Gi! Valkyrion, attack your former master!"
"Activate De-Fusion!" yelled Yu-Gi as he flipped over his magic card. "This breaks Valkyrion back into the three magnet warriors, and destroys Masquerade!"
"What?!" gasped Umbra.
"And now you are going to face the wrath of my god card," said Kaiba.
"Impossible!" yelled Lumis. "You can't!"
"I can and will, and you are going to be the one to help me," replied Kaiba. "I activate Soul Exchange. While Mask of Restrict prevents me from tributing my monsters, Soul Exchange lets me tribute yours. So, I am tributing Alpha, Beta, and Gamma to summon Obelisk the Tormentor!"
The three smaller monsters disappeared as the mighty Obelisk rose. Once again it was so massive that it crowded the rooftop. The duel disks couldn't even show its full body.
"NO!" gasped the rare hunters.
"Obelisk......" muttered Shayla, coming to.
"You're still conscious?" asked rare hunter who was her guard.
"It's over, Obelisk, obliterate Umbra's life points!" ordered Kaiba.
The massive Egyptian god raised its fist.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Umbra as the hologram slammed into him, sparks flying.
"And its not only the duel you lost," said Kaiba.
"No! My life points!" exclaimed Umbra as he watched the counter. "When they hit 0 I fall to the Shadow Realm!" Click! The counter hit 0.
BOOM! CRASH! The glass beneath his feet shattered, sending him falling many stories.
"Umbra!" cried Lumis.
"AAAAGGHHHHHH!" screamed Umbra on his way down. But then he pulled a hid string on his robe. A parachute popped open and got snagged on a banner. Umbra hung their, half-conscious.
"Umbra!" called Lumis again, looking down the hole.
"Give up, Lumis," said Yu-Gi. "You cannot win this duel alone. Our decks are too powerful."
"No, let's crush him!" insisted Kaiba.
"Kaiba, he has lost the will to fight," said Yu-Gi as Lumis collapsed to his knees.
"I'm out of here!" exclaimed Shayla's guard. He turned and jumped off of the rooftop. But he, too, had a parachute. He hit the ground and kept running.
"Where are my friends?!" demanded Yu-Gi as he walked over to cowering Lumis.
"Here! Take them! Don't hurt me!" begged Lumis as he threw two locator cards at them. Kaiba caught them with ease, tossed one to Yu-Gi, and walked closer.
"Where is Mokuba?" he asked with a voice colder than ice.
"Well done, Kaiba," said Lumis in a new voice. "Excellent use of your god card. But I hold a god card more powerful than the others. You will never be able to defeat it, especially since I know your decks, having witnessed them in countless duels."
"The man has gone insane!" exclaimed Kaiba.
"No, he is being controlled by Marik," replied Yu-Gi, coldly.
"How?!"
"Yu-Gi, I have a new challenge for you," said Lumis a.k.a. Marik. "If you want to see your friends again."
"Grrrrr...." growled Yu-Gi.
"How good of a duelist is your friend, Joe?" asked Marik. "Why don't you duel him and find out."
"I've had enough!" yelled Kaiba as he picked up Lumis by the collar. "Where is my brother?! We won, so give him back!"
"You actually believed me?" said Marik. "Fool!" With that, Lumis collapsed.
"He's gone," muttered Yu-Gi.
Kaiba growled. Then he remembered Shayla, still tied to the chair. He walked over to her. As he got closer he noticed she was shaking, she had been scared so badly. Her face seemed a bit pale, too. Seto briefly remembered her trying to free him in the Shadow Realm. Now the roles had been switched.
"Hang in there," said Kaiba as he pulled out his blue wallet and a small knife. He began to cut through the ropes that tied Shayla to the chair. Kaiba noticed how badly Shayla's hands were shaking. The poor girl was scared out of her wits.
"Are you going to be OK?" he asked as the last of the ropes fell free.
"Why does this keep happening?" she asked but it came out like a sob. All she needed was some support and some time to get her emotions and nerves in line. Shayla tried to stand but her legs gave out on her. Kaiba grabbed her arm to steady her. He helped her down. But Shayla wrapped her arms around his neck and started shaking and sobbing.
Kaiba seemed very uncomfortable to have the scared girl clinging to him. But he didn't want to push her off, not after what she had gone through. He let her hang for a moment, but that was too awkward, so he put his arms around her and held her tight. She seemed so..... so..... he didn't know how to put it. He just sat, holding her as she tried to get a grip.
"Kaiba, if we are going to find the others, we need to work together," said Yu-Gi as he walked over.
"I only care about finding Mokuba," snapped Kaiba. But it didn't sound so harsh. It must have been hard to be angry with a scared girl clinging to you.
"Wherever Mokuba is, that is where my friends are," said Yu-Gi.
Then the sounds of helicopter blades were heard.
"What?" asked Kaiba, looking up.
"Isn't that one of yours?" asked Yu-Gi.
"Big brother!" exclaimed Mokuba as the helicopter landed on the roof.
"It's Mokuba! He escaped!" exclaimed Kaiba as he brother jumped off.
"Seto!" exclaimed Mokuba. "You found Shayla! That's good! I was worried about her."
"Yeah, but she is really scared," said Kaiba. He noticed her sobbing had died down. He checked. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"What about Tea and Joe?" asked Yu-Gi.
"Tea was fine the last I saw her," answered Mokuba. "She was the one who helped me escape. But I didn't see Joe, I'm sorry."
"Get in the copter, Yu-Gi," snapped Kaiba as he stood up, holding the sleeping Shayla in his arms.
"What?" asked Yu-Gi.
"It seems like Tea helped my brother escape, and for that I owe you," he answered. "If there is one thing I hate, it is being in someone else's debt."
Yu-Gi nodded and got in.
"One moment," said Mokuba. He went over to the corner of the roof and picked up something, then came back. He was holding Shayla's backpack. "She is going to want this." Kaiba nodded and they entered the helicopter together.
Once inside, Kaiba laid Shayla across the back seat.
"Mokuba, start trying to track Joe's duel disk," said Kaiba.
"OK," agreed Mokuba.
"And Kaiba, thanks," said Yu-Gi.
**************************************************************************** ****
She heard footsteps racing up the stairs. Yu-Gi and Seto had arrived.
"Shayla!" they yelled when they both saw her. She gave a weak nodded. She was still scared out of her mind.
"Where are the others?" demanded Yu-Gi.
At the same time Kaiba said, "Where is Mokuba?"
"They will be fine, if you win," said one of the Rare Hunters.
Shayla began to piece together the lay out of the roof, judging from the sounds and voices. Farthest from her was the staircase. Then came Kaiba and Yu-Gi. In the middle was a dueling arena. Then came the three Rare Hunters, guarding her from them. She had a vague idea that she was only fifteen feet from the edge of the roof. That fact wasn't helping her nerves.
"We will be playing a double duel, just like last time," said Lumis as he stepped forward.
"But this time we won't lose! We will claim your god cards for Master Marik," added Umbra as he stepped forward as well. The other rare hunter stayed close, so Shayla assumed he was guarding her.
"Where is Mokuba?" asked Kaiba with gritted teeth.
"If you win, you'll find your loved ones," said Lumis. "But you won't win. Our decks have been modified since our last duel. Even with your god cards you can't beat us."
"Shall we begin? The arena has been set," said Umbra. He gestured to the glassy sunroof. "But there is one thing you should know about this duel. The stakes are even higher than you realize."
"The surface that you are standing on will be destroyed if a player's life points hit 0. If that happens you have a 50 story fall, right into a vortex that will seal you in the Shadow Realm forever!" said Lumis, gleefully.
"The Shadow Realm?!" gasped Shayla. "Not this again!"
"Shut up!" snapped the rare hunter who was near her. "You are to be seen and not heard."
Shayla felt a strong hand on the back of the chair she was sitting in. That only sent her nerves into overdrive.
"Enough talk!" snapped Yu-Gi. "We will play your game. But you must keep your end of the bargain and give back our friends and family when we win."
"So confident..... You have no idea what is in store for you," said Umbra, dangerously.
"Then let's begin," said Lumis. "I'll go first. I play two cads, face down."
"That's it?" retorted Kaiba.
"I'll go," said Yu-Gi. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode." His metal monster appeared. It looked like it's name suggests, a magnet. Several stuck out from various parts of its body. Its stats were 1700 and 1600.
"And since it is tag team rules, no one can attack until each player has had a turn. That makes it my turn," said Umbra. "I summon Shining Abyss in attack mode." The Shining Abyss could best be described as a weird version of an angel. Its attack was 1600 and its defense was 1800.
"Now, I'll activate Mask of Brutality!" said Lumis as he used one of his set magic cards. "This card raises Shining Abyss's attack by 1000."
Both Yu-Gi and Kaiba glared it down, analyzing it for any weakness.
"The only problem with Mask of Brutality is that it costs 1000 life points for me to keep it in play, each turn," continued Lumis. "That is why I activate my second magic card, Mask Puppet, which allows me to cancel that cost."
"How the......" muttered Kaiba. It was obvious by their expression that both god card holders were nervous. Already their opponents had a monster with 2600 attack points on the field.
"My turn," said Kaiba. "I play Vorse Raider." His reptilian warrior appeared with stats of 1900 and 1200. "As soon as I can tribute my weaker monsters, my stronger ones will finish Umbra and Lumis once for all and free Mokuba. There is no way these two amateurs can stand up to Obelisk. Yu-Gi had better thank me when I win this duel for him."
"Kaiba," said Yu-Gi. "We are going to have to work together to beat them. This won't be as easy as the last time."
"Huff......"
"It is my turn again, and now the real fun begins," said Lumis. "I play Mask of the Accursed on your magnet warrior!" Lumis threw his magic card on his duel disk. Instantly the holograms reacted and a strange, primitive mask formed around Beta.
"What does it do?" asked Yu-Gi as Beta went limp.
"It prevents your monsters from....." Shayla started to warn them.
"I said quiet!" snapped the rare hunter who was by her.
SMACK! He hit her, right across the face. Shayla did stop talking, again stunned and afraid.
"How dare they....." growled Seto, his free hand tightening into a fist. He clenched it so tight, in fact, that crescent marks were forming on his palms. Yu-Gi looked just as mad, his eyes had narrowed into thin slits.
"As the lady was saying, Mask of the Accursed stops your monster from attacking or defending," continued Lumis. X's appeared where the stats of Beta should have been. It was now just dead weight. "What is even better, Mask of the Accursed drains 500 life points from you at the beginning of each of your turns."
"That can't......" muttered Yu-Gi, looking at his helpless monster.
"I'll set one more magic card and end my turn," said Lumis. "It's your turn, Yu-Gi, and the Mask of the Accursed drains 500 life points!" Yu-Gi now had 3500 life points.
"They have got to have a weakness," thought Yu-Gi. "All I have to do is find it....... That's it! Lumis has only been playing magic and trap cards, while Umbra is the one playing the monsters. That has got to be their strategy!"
"If Yu-Gi tributes his monster, he won't have to worry about Mask of the Accursed any more," thought Kaiba. "Let's see if he realizes that."
"I know what I am going to do....." thought Yu-Gi, realizing the same thing. Then he announced, "I'll tribute Beta the Magnet Warrior for the Gilfar Demon!" He put the stronger monster card on his duel disk.
"Not so fast!" exclaimed Lumis. "You walked right into my trap."
"A trap card?!"
"I activate Mask of Restrict, which prevents both of you from tributing your monsters for stronger ones," gloated Lumis.
"And without the ability to summon any strong monsters on the field, your god cards are useless. You will not be able to withstand our attacks!" added Umbra.
"No......" moaned Shayla, slightly. "This can't be happening..... Not again......"
"How could this happen?!" steamed Seto. "This is all Yu-Gi's fault. I don't need him. I don't need anyone. I'll win this duel alone and save my brother."
"Grrrrr," growled Yu-Gi. "I summon Kuriboh in defense mode." His hairball with weak stats of 300 and 200 appeared next to the useless Beta. "Then I'll set one magic card to end my turn." He turned his attention to Kaiba. "Kaiba we are going to have to work together if we ever want to see our loved ones again. Umbra and Lumis have worked together so far. If we do not do the same we will lose."
"Yu-Gi, save it," snapped Kaiba. "I don't need your help. I'll win this on my own."
"My turn," announced Umbra. "I'd better be careful, Kaiba has those two magic cards."
"Don't worry," a voice said in his ear. It was Lumis and they were talking via a hidden microphone. "I'll deal with Kaiba's magic cards. Crush him!"
"Right!" agreed Umbra.
Shayla could hear slight mumbling from her position. But she had no idea what to make of it. But that was the last thing on her mind. She was too busy worrying about Mokuba, the two duelists, and herself to care.
"Shining Abyss, attack!" ordered Umbra. The Shining Abyss charged forward, aiming for Kaiba.
"Reveal face down card, Bell of Destruction!" yelled Kaiba as one of his cards was revealed. A large ring with several green bells circled the Shining Abyss's neck.
"What?" gasped Umbra.
"It will destroy your monster and take away its attack points from your life points," said Kaiba.
"Not today!" countered Lumis. "I activate Move the Trap, which moves your Bell of Destruction to your Vorse Raider! Now, you'll lose your monster and 1900 life points!"
The Bell of Destruction disappeared from the Shining Abyss to Kaiba's Vorse Raider. There, both the monster and the trap exploded.
"Defense Wheel!" yelled Kaiba as he flipped over his remaining magic card. "Defense Wheel will reflect this damage back to you, Umbra!"
"Then I counter with Move the Spell!" shouted Lumis. "This moves the damage back to you, Kaiba!" Kaiba now had 2100 life points and no monsters or magic on the field. He was defenseless.
"Shining Abyss, continue your attack! Finish him!" ordered Umbra, smugly.
"No!" gasped Shayla.
Kaiba's eyes went wide as the monster closed in for its attack.
WOOOSH! Suddenly the field was covered by dozens of Kuribohs, some of which took the attack, saving Kaiba.
"What?!" gasped the rare hunters.
"Yu-Gi, I said I don't want your help!" snapped Kaiba.
"Kaiba, we are a team, and if one of us falls so will the other," said Yu- Gi.
"So he's only doing this for himself, I thought so," thought Kaiba.
"Listen to me, Kaiba," continued Yu-Gi. "We have to work as a team. Next time I'm in trouble you are going to have to be there to save me. Otherwise, I might not be there to save you again."
"This is certainly interesting," said Umbra.
"Huff...." muttered Kaiba.
"Take your turn already!" snapped Lumis.
"Are you that eager to be defeated?" asked Kaiba as he drew his next card. "One of my Blue-Eyes! But thanks to Yu-Gi, it is useless."
"The Blue-Eyes....." muttered Shayla, something snapping inside of her. Her head dropped to her chest as she almost passed out. She began to hear things, too, things that weren't from anything she knew.
"Monsters? In stone? But how?!"
"He's called one of them out! This has to be that dark magic Ishizu warned me about!"
"Look at how big that monster is! I have to do something! I have to tell someone!"
"It doesn't matter any more....." *Sob*
"NO..... DON'T!"
Shayla didn't remember what happened in the duel after that. (AN/ But since I like this duel so much, I am going to finish it.)
"I play Battle Ox in defense mode, with one magic card," announced Kaiba as he placed his monster. It looked like a large bull wearing red armor. It held a large battle ax and had stats of 1700 and 1000. All around it the Kuribohs were multiplying.
"For my next turn I play Mask of Dispel," announced Lumis. "That negates the effect of your Multiply, reducing all your Kuribohs back to one!"
"What?!"
"No!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"But that isn't the end," continued Lumis. "This card will also cause you to lose 500 life points per turn!"
"You might as well give up," said Umbra.
"Now, I summon Grand Tiki Leader to the field!" continued Lumis. His first monster appeared. It looked like a primitive witch doctor with an attack of 1500 and a defense of 800. "Destroy the remaining Kuriboh!" A moment later Yu-Gi's monster disappeared with a flash of light.
It was now Yu-Gi's turn and both masks activated, draining him of 1000 life points. He was left with 2500 life points total. He drew his next card.
"Dang it! I don't have any low level monsters left. And without any monsters on the field, I'll have no way of protecting my life points. I do have Card Destruction. I could activate it and draw a new hand. But that will force everyone to draw a new hand. And if Kaiba has a plan, I could be jeopardizing our only way to win!" thought Yu-Gi. He paused a moment, considering what to do.
"Yu-Gi," called Kaiba. "You'd better not screw up like last time. I have a card that could save us. But thanks to you, it is better off in the graveyard."
"They are arguing again!" chimed Lumis.
"This is going to work to our advantage. We can crush them!" added Umbra.
"I place one magic card and end my turn," said Yu-Gi. "Kaiba, you'd better come through for me, or else this duel is going to be over fast!"
"Then I activate Curse of the Masked Beast!" announced Umbra. "It is a ritual card! We tribute both our Shining Abyss and Grand Tiki Leader to summon The Masked Beast!" The Masked Beast appeared. (AN/ Sorry, I forgot what it looks like.) Its attack was 3200 and its defense was 1800.
"There is nothing you can do to stop it!" gloated Lumis. "It will crush you! Then we will claim your god cards for Master Marik!"
"Impossible......" gasped Kaiba.
"Kaiba, if we work together, we can beat it!" said Yu-Gi, as determined as ever.
"You won't beat it, because you are done for!" shouted Umbra. "With no monsters to defend you, your life points will disappear. And when that happens it is a one way trip to the Shadow Realm! Say good-bye, Yu-Gi! Attack, Masked Beast!" The beast charged forward, bent on destroying Yu- Gi's life points. Yu-Gi cringed as it got closer.
"Block it, Battle Ox!" ordered Kaiba. His monster dove in the way and took the attack full on. It disappeared into dust.
"Kaiba!" gasped Yu-Gi, surprised.
"Don't think this means we are a team," said Kaiba. "I only did it to repay you for your Kuriboh. There is one thing I hate more than anything else and that is being in debt to someone."
"How did that happen?" asked Umbra, shocked. "Why were they working together?"
"I don't know," replied Lumis, who was equally surprised. "We'd better finish them, and fast!"
"Well, since an attack was ordered, I activate Card Destruction!" announced Yu-Gi.
"What!?" gasped the two rare hunters.
"It forces us to discard our hands and draw five new cards," announced Yu- Gi. The players did this.
"This is awful," thought the rare hunters. "There were cards I needed in there."
"Perfect," thought Kaiba. "So Yu-Gi did take the hint. Now we will soon see the power of my Blue-Eyes."
"We are still in this. Putting my Gilfar Demon in the graveyard will come in handy," thought Yu-Gi.
"My turn," said Kaiba, smiling. "You are about to face the might of my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"You can't do that!" shouted Lumis. "Or have you forgotten about Mask of Restrict? You can't tribute any monsters!"
"There's more than one way to get a powerful monster on the field," said Kaiba, confidently. "I activate Monster Reborn and revive the Blue-Eyes that was sent to the graveyard!"
"No! This can't be happening!" gasped Umbra. "Lumis! You said this wouldn't happen!"
"It....it wasn't supposed to!" gasped Lumis.
The Blue-Eyes loomed over them, ready for action. Its stats, though, still weren't as strong as The Masked Beast, at 3000 and 2500.
"Do you think you can withstand the might of my dragon?" asked Kaiba.
"You can't hope to win by attacking us!" yelled Umbra. "Our monster is still 200 attack points stronger than yours. You haven't won nothing!"
"Ignore them, Kaiba, and attack!" said Yu-Gi.
"But...." stammered Seto, examining the situation. "Why would he tell me to attack, unless he wanted me to get destroyed? No, that wouldn't benefit him in anyway. And, he does want to get his friends back, that is his motivation. Why would he tell me to attack, it doesn't make sense?! ....Unless he has some kind of trap.... But should I trust him? He's no sham duelist, not like that Joe..... But if I lose my chance at freeing Mokuba, he is going to regret it."
"Don't worry, attack!" said Yu-Gi.
"Fine, but you'd better know what you are doing," snapped Kaiba. "Blue- Eyes, attack with your White Lightning!"
Thunder showered the area, striking The Masked Beast. It burst into dust and disappeared, taking 300 life points away from Umbra.
"What happened?!" gasped Lumis.
"That's impossible!" gaped Umbra.
"No its not," said Yu-Gi. "When I sent my Gilfar Demon to the graveyard last turn, its special ability drained 500 attack points from your Masked Beast, making it weaker than Kaiba's dragon. Don't you see, Kaiba, that is why we need to work together."
"Huff....." protested Kaiba. "I'll never work with anyone ever again. Does Yu-Gi think he can tell me what to do? It isn't going to happen. I have no need to take orders from him. I can win this duel on my own. I don't need him. He is following his own agenda. He has his own priorities, and I will not be used by him."
"So you beat The Masked Beast. This duel is far from over, and we still have the edge in life points," cackled Lumis. "And now I play three cards, all face down. Two are magic and one is a monster. It is your turn, Yu- Gi. And don't forget, you lose 100 life points from the two mask cards placed on you!"
"What could those cards be?" wondered Yu-Gi. "I'd better be careful, Umbra and Lumis are tricky. And Kaiba...... who know what he is thinking?" Yu- Gi checked his hand before playing his next turn. His life points were now at 1500.
"I play one card, then I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode," announced Yu-Gi as he placed the cards on the duel disk. Alpha appeared, next to the useless Beta. They looked close enough that they could be cousins, except Alpha's magnets were in different places. Its stats were 1400 and 1700.
"Now that I have a monster to attack, I will," announced Yu-Gi. "Alpha, attack his face down monster card!" Alpha charged forward, electricity crackling around it. In another display of fireworks the card hologram disappeared.
"Dang it!" thought Lumis. "I could have used my magic cards to save it. But I need to have some defense against that Blue-Eyes!"
"Lumis could have stopped him, but he is saving the magic cards," thought Umbra. "It must be for the dragon. Well, Lumis had better come through if Kaiba decides to attack me."
"For my turn I summon Rogue Doll in attack mode," declared Umbra. His monster appeared. It was hard to make out its body, because it was wrapped in such a large robe. Only a small, pale head poked out. Its attack was 1600.
"Is that the best monster you have?" asked Kaiba, who was clearly unimpressed.
"Kaiba, be careful," said Yu-Gi. "They are planning something." He suspiciously eyes the two set magic cards on Lumis's side of the field.
"Your partner has good points," sneered Umbra. "It would be in your best interest to listen to him every know and the. Now, Rogue Doll, attack the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"You're insane!" snapped Seto.
"Watch as I activate Mask of Weakness," cackled Lumis. "This lowers your monster's attack power by 700 points!" Another mask former on the dragon.
"What?! No!" gasped Kaiba.
"Now, I activate the Mask of Brutality, to raise the attack of Rogue Doll to 2600!" said Lumis, gleefully. "Say good-bye to your dragon!"
"No......" muttered Kaiba, never imagining him monster could be destroyed by such a weaker monster.
"It's not over yet!" said Yu-Gi. "I activate Fairy's Hand Mirror, to redirect your Mask of Brutality to Kaiba's Blue-Eyes!"
"What?!" gasped the two rare hunters as the mask disappeared off of their monster and formed on the Blue-Eyes, raising its attack to 3300.
"Wow......." thought Kaiba. "Dang it! It looks like I owe Yu-Gi again."
The two monsters fought, because it was too late to call of the attack. The Rogue Doll vanished, leaving Umbra with 2000 life points.
"Lumis, this is your fault!" snapped Umbra. "Your magic cards failed me!"
"What?!" gasped Lumis. "No! It's not my fault your monster was too weak."
"This is interesting....." thought Yu-Gi as he watched them fight.
"Can I trust Lumis any more to come through for me?" Umbra asked himself. "He's failed me once. I have to be careful in case he makes any more mistakes. I am not going to be the one to lose all my life points. I am going to have to defend myself."
"I play one card face down to end my turn," he declared.
"My turn," said Kaiba. "And with no monsters in play, your life points are easy prey for my Blue-Eyes. Finish him, White Lightning!"
"Iron Wall Mask!" announced Umbra, flipping over his magic card. "This blocks me from your attack!"
"Thank goodness......" muttered Lumis, happy that his partner was still in the game.
"Why are you happy?" asked Kaiba. "Do you think Umbra would have used his magic card to save you if I ordered my Blue-Eyes to attack you?"
"What?!" demanded Umbra. "Of course I would, Lumis."
"Do you really think he'd leave himself defenseless like that?" continued Kaiba. "That is why you can never trust people. They always have their own motives, their own reasons for doing things. The only one you can trust is yourself."
"Don't listen to him, Lumis!" insisted Umbra. But it was too late, the seed of doubt had been planted.
"Kaiba may be right," thought Lumis. "I am going to have to win this alone. Umbra probably wants to beat Kaiba and Yu-Gi and give their god cards to Master Marik himself. He doesn't care what happens to me in the process!"
"My turn," said Lumis, through gritted teeth. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!" He did and looked over his hand, which only consisted of those two cards.
"Dang it! There is still nothing here I can use! But wait....." he thought. "I place one card down, then I activate Hand Exchange!"
Kaiba and Yu-Gi gasped.
"In a normal duel, this magic card forces the players to swap hands. But since this is a double duel, I can trade hands with any other player," explained Lumis. "And I chose you, Umbra."
"What?! Me?!" gasped Umbra. "But......But......"
"Come on, Umbra, trade!" insisted Lumis. They did, Umbra grumbling the entire time.
"Now, I reveal my face down card, which is Chosen One!" announced Lumis. "First, I set all the cards I got from Umbra." Umbra growled. "Then the spinner spins and one card is chosen randomly. If it is the monster card I set, then it is summoned onto the field without paying any tributes. But if it is one of the other cards they are all sent to the graveyard."
"You'd better know what you are doing!" yelled Umbra. "Those are my cards your gambling with!"
"Quiet! The spinner is stopping!" snapped Lumis. Slowly the holographic dial stopped, pointing to a card hologram.
"It worked! It worked!" cheered Lumis. "Now face the wrath of the Masked Beast Des Guardius!" Their next masked monster appeared. It was tall, but now towering like the Blue-Eyes. It wore a pale blue, simple mask. Two other similar masks were on either side of the first. Its stats were 3300 and 2500.
"This is bad....." thought Kaiba and Yu-Gi.
"We can still win this!" thought Yu-Gi. "But all I need is my next turn!"
"It's almost over!" cackled Lumis. "Say good-bye, Yu-Gi."
"No!" exclaimed Umbra. "Take out the Blue-Eyes, it is the biggest threat. There is plenty of time to finish Yu-Gi later!"
"We can crush him now!" said Lumis, angrily.
"That's because you know you can't take on my dragon," said Kaiba. "It's too much for you."
"Take that back!" demanded Lumis.
"Why? It's true," continued Kaiba, coolly. "What serious duelist can resist flexing his muscles? I dare you, see if you can stand up to the might of my dragon!"
"Have it your way!" yelled Lumis. "I will crush you! Attack the Blue- Eyes, my beautiful masked beast!" The Masked Beast Des Guardius charged forward, slicing through the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The Blue-Eyes disappeared in a flash of light.
"Hahahahahahaha! See!" gloated Lumis. Kaiba clenched his fist tighter.
"My turn, and you have made your last mistake," said Yu-Gi as his life points dropped to 500, thanks to the masks placed on him.
"You can't hope to beat the masked beast!" countered Umbra. "You can't summon a monster strong enough!"
"There is more than one way to get powerful monsters on the field," said Yu- Gi. "Now watch as I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior!" Gamma appeared between Alpha and Beta. It was more squat than the two, but it was clear they were very similar. Its stats were 1500 and 1800.
"Then, I activate their special ability," continued Yu-Gi. "Watch as they fuse together to create Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior!" Magnetic sparks flew as the three magnet warriors fused together to create a monster with stats of 3500 and 3850.
"Now crush them Yu-Gi," said Kaiba. "Crush them and avenge my Blue-Eyes!"
"While my monster does have more attack points then theirs, they don't seem worried. Does the masked beast have a special ability I don't know about?" wondered Yu-Gi.
"Kaiba, anger will only lead to hasty decisions and mistakes," said Yu-Gi as he set one magic card.
"I sacrifice my Blue-Eyes for you!" snapped Kaiba. "Finish them now!"
"There may be another way to win this," said Yu-Gi, quietly.
"The only sure way to win is to summon Obelisk," thought Kaiba as he looked at the god card in his hand. "But I can't tribute any of my monsters to summon it! Wait! I can! The answer is right in front of my eyes!" Kaiba started at a magic card in his hand. "But I am going to have to trust Yu-Gi to sacrifice him monster...... I don't want to trust him, but if its the only way to get Mokuba back......."
"Now attack, Valkyrion!" ordered Yu-Gi. His monster charged forward, right through Masked Beast Des Guardius. That masked monster fell, and so did 200 of Lumis's life points.
"Ha!" laughed Lumis. All that was left on the field from the masked beast was its three masks. "Watch! These three masks meld together to form a new mask. That mask then allows me to control any one of your monsters. And since you only have one, Valkyrion is mine!" The new masked flew through the air and latched onto Valkyrion, who then walked over to Lumis's side of the field.
"Now we will end this," said Umbra. "I activate Masquerade, which lets me jointly control Valkyrion. And I will use your own monster to crush you, Yu-Gi! Valkyrion, attack your former master!"
"Activate De-Fusion!" yelled Yu-Gi as he flipped over his magic card. "This breaks Valkyrion back into the three magnet warriors, and destroys Masquerade!"
"What?!" gasped Umbra.
"And now you are going to face the wrath of my god card," said Kaiba.
"Impossible!" yelled Lumis. "You can't!"
"I can and will, and you are going to be the one to help me," replied Kaiba. "I activate Soul Exchange. While Mask of Restrict prevents me from tributing my monsters, Soul Exchange lets me tribute yours. So, I am tributing Alpha, Beta, and Gamma to summon Obelisk the Tormentor!"
The three smaller monsters disappeared as the mighty Obelisk rose. Once again it was so massive that it crowded the rooftop. The duel disks couldn't even show its full body.
"NO!" gasped the rare hunters.
"Obelisk......" muttered Shayla, coming to.
"You're still conscious?" asked rare hunter who was her guard.
"It's over, Obelisk, obliterate Umbra's life points!" ordered Kaiba.
The massive Egyptian god raised its fist.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Umbra as the hologram slammed into him, sparks flying.
"And its not only the duel you lost," said Kaiba.
"No! My life points!" exclaimed Umbra as he watched the counter. "When they hit 0 I fall to the Shadow Realm!" Click! The counter hit 0.
BOOM! CRASH! The glass beneath his feet shattered, sending him falling many stories.
"Umbra!" cried Lumis.
"AAAAGGHHHHHH!" screamed Umbra on his way down. But then he pulled a hid string on his robe. A parachute popped open and got snagged on a banner. Umbra hung their, half-conscious.
"Umbra!" called Lumis again, looking down the hole.
"Give up, Lumis," said Yu-Gi. "You cannot win this duel alone. Our decks are too powerful."
"No, let's crush him!" insisted Kaiba.
"Kaiba, he has lost the will to fight," said Yu-Gi as Lumis collapsed to his knees.
"I'm out of here!" exclaimed Shayla's guard. He turned and jumped off of the rooftop. But he, too, had a parachute. He hit the ground and kept running.
"Where are my friends?!" demanded Yu-Gi as he walked over to cowering Lumis.
"Here! Take them! Don't hurt me!" begged Lumis as he threw two locator cards at them. Kaiba caught them with ease, tossed one to Yu-Gi, and walked closer.
"Where is Mokuba?" he asked with a voice colder than ice.
"Well done, Kaiba," said Lumis in a new voice. "Excellent use of your god card. But I hold a god card more powerful than the others. You will never be able to defeat it, especially since I know your decks, having witnessed them in countless duels."
"The man has gone insane!" exclaimed Kaiba.
"No, he is being controlled by Marik," replied Yu-Gi, coldly.
"How?!"
"Yu-Gi, I have a new challenge for you," said Lumis a.k.a. Marik. "If you want to see your friends again."
"Grrrrr...." growled Yu-Gi.
"How good of a duelist is your friend, Joe?" asked Marik. "Why don't you duel him and find out."
"I've had enough!" yelled Kaiba as he picked up Lumis by the collar. "Where is my brother?! We won, so give him back!"
"You actually believed me?" said Marik. "Fool!" With that, Lumis collapsed.
"He's gone," muttered Yu-Gi.
Kaiba growled. Then he remembered Shayla, still tied to the chair. He walked over to her. As he got closer he noticed she was shaking, she had been scared so badly. Her face seemed a bit pale, too. Seto briefly remembered her trying to free him in the Shadow Realm. Now the roles had been switched.
"Hang in there," said Kaiba as he pulled out his blue wallet and a small knife. He began to cut through the ropes that tied Shayla to the chair. Kaiba noticed how badly Shayla's hands were shaking. The poor girl was scared out of her wits.
"Are you going to be OK?" he asked as the last of the ropes fell free.
"Why does this keep happening?" she asked but it came out like a sob. All she needed was some support and some time to get her emotions and nerves in line. Shayla tried to stand but her legs gave out on her. Kaiba grabbed her arm to steady her. He helped her down. But Shayla wrapped her arms around his neck and started shaking and sobbing.
Kaiba seemed very uncomfortable to have the scared girl clinging to him. But he didn't want to push her off, not after what she had gone through. He let her hang for a moment, but that was too awkward, so he put his arms around her and held her tight. She seemed so..... so..... he didn't know how to put it. He just sat, holding her as she tried to get a grip.
"Kaiba, if we are going to find the others, we need to work together," said Yu-Gi as he walked over.
"I only care about finding Mokuba," snapped Kaiba. But it didn't sound so harsh. It must have been hard to be angry with a scared girl clinging to you.
"Wherever Mokuba is, that is where my friends are," said Yu-Gi.
Then the sounds of helicopter blades were heard.
"What?" asked Kaiba, looking up.
"Isn't that one of yours?" asked Yu-Gi.
"Big brother!" exclaimed Mokuba as the helicopter landed on the roof.
"It's Mokuba! He escaped!" exclaimed Kaiba as he brother jumped off.
"Seto!" exclaimed Mokuba. "You found Shayla! That's good! I was worried about her."
"Yeah, but she is really scared," said Kaiba. He noticed her sobbing had died down. He checked. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"What about Tea and Joe?" asked Yu-Gi.
"Tea was fine the last I saw her," answered Mokuba. "She was the one who helped me escape. But I didn't see Joe, I'm sorry."
"Get in the copter, Yu-Gi," snapped Kaiba as he stood up, holding the sleeping Shayla in his arms.
"What?" asked Yu-Gi.
"It seems like Tea helped my brother escape, and for that I owe you," he answered. "If there is one thing I hate, it is being in someone else's debt."
Yu-Gi nodded and got in.
"One moment," said Mokuba. He went over to the corner of the roof and picked up something, then came back. He was holding Shayla's backpack. "She is going to want this." Kaiba nodded and they entered the helicopter together.
Once inside, Kaiba laid Shayla across the back seat.
"Mokuba, start trying to track Joe's duel disk," said Kaiba.
"OK," agreed Mokuba.
"And Kaiba, thanks," said Yu-Gi.
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