Chapter Five- Renewed Confidence
Ryou drew with a flourish, before bringing the card to his face, ala Yami. Just what he needed.
"I fuse the three magnet warriors for Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!" Ryou's eyes flashed from the Dark Ruler to Dark Necrofear. Either would be good. If I attacked the weakest he'd lose more life points. "Valkyrion attack Dark Necrofear!" The demonic creature was obliterated from the field but Bakura looked absolutely pleased.
"AHAHA! Once again you've fallen into my trap and this time you won't escape!" he cackled. He sounded like he had completely gone off the deep end this time. He activated a magic card, "Here it is: Dark Sanctuary!"
Ryou's eyes all but fanned out of his head. Eyeballs were popping up everywhere, and mouths too! The dark hue of the Shadow Realm turned reddish. Ryou remembered his yami using that card in the duel with Yugi. But what did it do? He couldn't remember. He hadn't gotten the chance to duel with that card; he just knew it wasn't good for him. "Alright, I-"
"Not so fast, I haven't yet finished." Ryou flinched, thinking what could Bakura possibly do now, "I activate Destiny Board. You may carry on."
"Fine, I end my turn," Destiny Board went into effect as Ryou said this. The letter 'I' joined 'F' above the board.
Bakura drew the next card, but Ryou was thinking hard. "Now I-"
"Destiny Board," the light mumbled.
"Nani?"
Ryou didn't look up; he was still thinking, "It spelled...what was it? F-I, F-I, it was F-I-"
"Rrrgh, N-A-L!" his yami roared furiously, "F-I-N-A-L! FINAL!! Damn it, can't you remember what YOUR OWN CARDS do?!?!"
Ryou finally looked up, "I would know what my cards did if a certain someone let me duel with them once in awhile or at the very least LET ME SEE THEM!" he had definitely gotten flaired up at that comment and was beginning to lose his cool. "Ungh, let's just duel."
"Sounds perfect. I summon Earthbound Spirit and activate the Dark Door magic card. During each turn, the duelist is allowed one attack." Bakura spoke slowly to tease his aibou. As long as Ryou wasn't focused, he may as well milk it for all it was worth.
Ryou looked like steam was coming out of his ears. No, calm down Ryou. You can't beat him when you're all riled up like this. Take a deep breath and think this through. Ryou exhaled. Oh, who am I kidding. I can't beat him now. In three more of my turns he'll win. Three turns.
"Hold up," Ryou protested, "Destiny Board spells one message and when it's done the opposing duelist loses, yes?" I have to make sure I have this straight.
"Uh-huh," the dark had no idea where this was going.
"And the message is five letters long, right?"
"Ye-es," still didn't get it.
"And each letter is one card correct?"
Bakura finally caught on. Ryou was making the same assumption that Yami made in their last duel. He thinks Dark Sanctuary is just here to look pretty. Well he's wrong. "I see where you're headed. And let me tell you: it won't work."
"But, you said-"
Bakura sighed, "Alright, look. Destiny Board spells out a five letter word and each letter is one magic card but with Dark Sanctuary both players are allowed to play magic and trap cards in the monster card zone. So even though I have Dark Door in play," he paused here to take a breath. "I can still have all pieces of the Destiny Board in play. Any questions?" he added dryly.
His other stared at the floor. "No," he said dejectly.
"Good. Now can we finish this before you have another one of these brilliance spazzes of yours." Ra, if he keeps this up, I'll have to start feeling sorry for him. I really am going soft, damn it.
"Hello?"
"Grr, what!" Bakura was losing his cool now. "Oh, my turn. I end it and sacrifice my Earthbound Spirit to maintain the effects of Dark Sanctuary."
Ryou drew a card. Alright now. He didn't change the Dark Ruler so I still have a chance to attack it and cause him some damage. "Okay. I attack your Dark Ruler with my Valkyrion!" He watched expectantly for the monster to be destroyed but was shocked when some sort of spirit ebbed out of his monster and hit him right in the chest.
"Tsk, tsk," his yami corrected him, "Really child, must you make the same mistake of underestimating my-oh, sorry- your deck?"
"The evil ghost of dark sanctuary."
"Ah, yes. You do have a brain," Bakura did a mock 'proud'-smile. It vanished almost as soon as it had appeared, "I hope I do not have to explain what my little ghost friend does."
"I know, I know." Okay, now what? I can't really attack all that easily... unless I have a second monster! He won't know which one I'll attack with, so I'll have a 50/50 chance to hit him. Hey, it's better than just losing. I can lose with style. Ryou stared at his hand. He had the Dark Magician Girl, but he'd have to sacrifice a monster to summon her. "I summon Kuriboh in defence mode and end my turn." The third letter appeared on the Destiny Board, 'N'.
"Good," he drew yes I think we know that. "Alright, I set one card face down and end my turn." The Dark Ruler disappear; it being the only monster on Bakura's side of the field. Ryou drew, "I sacrifice my Kuriboh to summon the Dark Magician Girl." The little butterball disappeared and in its place was a relatively cute female magician. She gave a little wink before taking her place beside Valkyrion. I can't risk attacking with Valkyrion. I'd lose half of its attack points from my life points, and that's all I have left! "Dark Magician Girl attack with-"
Yami, "Gamma the Magnet Warrior- attack now!"
Bakura, "You've triggered my trap card- Dark Spirit of the Silent! This card instantly stops your monster from attacking me. Did you honestly believe I'd let you attack my life points directly, Yugi?" The card was activated and out of it came another spirit; it hit the Magnet Warrior in its tracks. "Once my trap card stops your warrior, it will cause your Dark Magician Girl to attack."
Yami gasped, "No! If my Dark Magician Girl is the monster you possessed, I'll lose more life points!"
Ryou shook his head. That... why am I remembering that? Wait. If he's used that card in the past, what's to stop him from doing that again? "No. I-I end my turn." The fourth letter appeared, 'A'. Why didn't I do anything? Is sitting around really a good choice? I'll have to deal with this now, no matter whether it was a good or bad choice.
Bakura looked surprised, "You do nothing? You do realise that you now have one turn left to beat me?"
His light only nodded.
"Your funeral. I draw." Bakura announced, "I summon the Souls of the Forgotten and sacrifice it for Dark Sanctuary." He looked serious now, "This is your last turn you know. You had best make this count."
He's right. If I don't do anything this turn, I'll lose. But what can I do? If I attack with either monster that ghost will attack me and I'll lose. Even if I could attack without the ghost I still couldn't destroy all his life points in one shot.
Ryou looked up. Maybe attacking his life points first is the wrong approach. He can control my monsters with Dark Sanctuary. That's it!
"I draw," he did, 'Yami' style once more, "I activate the magic card Pot of Greed. With this card, I can draw two more cards from my deck." Please let them be the ones I need.
Ryou shut his eyes. Everything depended on this draw. If he got the cards he needed, his friends would be alright. If he didn't- no, that wouldn't happen. He would win.
The light drew his cards. "Not get what you wanted? But I suppose an amateur like yourself couldn't possibly..."
"I activate the magic card Shisha Sousei! So now I can revive the monster known as Dark Necrofear!" Bakura's monster revived on Ryou's side of the field. The dark creature's piercing stare rested on its former master. The evil Dark Sanctuary faded as Dark Necrofear took center stage. "Now that Dark Sanctuary is no longer in effect, you have to get rid of one of your magic or trap cards."
Bakura gave a deep, frustrated growl. The tide had definitely turned on him. If he had to destroy a card though, it should be, "Dark Spirit of the Silent, be gone!" The face down card flipped to show yet another ghastly ghost before it was destroyed. "It doesn't matter. I've gotten out worse situations than this before and I'll do it again."
The light smirked, "Not if you don't get the chance. I activate the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon. With this magic card I can destroy one magic or trap card on the field and I choose- The Dark Door!" As the card activated, a great wind sucked away the chosen card.
Bakura's eyes grew wide. No, this can't be! I should have won by now! I have nothing to defend me and I'm staring down three fierce monsters!
"Attack Valkyrion!" Bakura yelped in pain as he lost a vast amount of life points. "Now, Dark Necrofear, finish him!" Bakura gave another cry of pain as his life points dropped to zero.
"This duel..." the dark coughed through pale lips, "is over."
Bakura couldn't believe this had happened. How could he lose to Ryou, his partner, of all people? Bakura could not continue to speculate as the shadow realm consumed his body. "This is cannot be over! I will.." but whatever he will do remained unknown for the time being. The last of the evil spirit of the millennium ring faded with the darkness he had brought.
Slowly the other partygoers awoke from their deep slumber, each wondering what had happened. Joey was the first to speak, though it was a jumble of words thrown together.
"Wha. I dun... the shadow realm... and ring... dark, no, really dark... Yugi! Oh Yugi, you must have saved us from..."
"No I didn't," Yugi whispered, not as angry as he was curious. After all, who besides him had been able to drive away the realm of darkness?
"Ryou," pointed Duke. He had noticed the two decks spread out on the table where the albino boy was sitting. "How?"
Ryou himself was bewildered now that he had time to think about it. "I don't know. I guess because I have the millennium ring, it didn't affect me as it should."
"But it's gone now!" Mokuba pointed out.
Ryou saw that the younger Kaiba brother was right. "Oh, yeah. I guess when Bakura was beaten.."
"You beat Bakura. Wow." Joey looked in awe at his albino friend. Guess he ain't so much a pushova, when he's got somethin' to fight fer. "Well, either Bakura's losin' his touch or Ryou's gotten a whole lot betta!" Joey fell to his knees in reverence, "I am entirely in your debt."
Ryou looked uneasy at Joey and backed away, "No that's okay. You guys have helped me tons in the past; it's alright."
"But just helpin' and lifesavin' are two different things!"
"No! It's fine!"
"No, it's not!"
"Joey!"
Marik raised an eyebrow, "So... should we stop them and watch a movie, or move them and watch a movie?"
Tea whispered behind Marik, "How do you propose we 'move' them?"
"I have some dog biscuits. We can lure the mutt away."
Joey was about to make a rude remark but instead chuckled, "You do realise this don't you?"
Kaiba looked down at him, "Realise what?"
"You owe Ryou. Owe. O-W-E. That's where the one person does something nice because someone else saved their freakin' soul," the blonde smirked.
"Like what?" the executive asked boredly.
Joey held out his hand, "How 'bout some dough? I know you could spare a few hundred."
And so began the real party, starting with the rather one-sided shouting match between Joseph Wheeler and Seto Kaiba.