Chapter Ten- Reckless Dueling

"-My Elf, Attack!!" Kaiba's monster, ready to attack, went directly to Ananias and his life points. It was a mere foot away before the raven-haired duelist activated a trap card, just in time to save him from Kaiba's monster's wrath.

"I activate the trap card, Call of the Haunted!!" an eerie card with the picture of a graveyard on it flipped face up, "With this card I can revive a monster in my graveyard. So of course I summon, Spirit Ryu!" The spirit of the dragon ebbed out of the ground before again materializing.

Kaiba laughed, "Hahaha!! It doesn't matter!! My monster is still the superior one!"

"Not if I do this," Anny activated another trap card, "Now I activate Burst Breath. By sacrificing one dragon on my side of the field, I can destroy every other monster on the field whose defense is lower than my monster's attack. This will clear the field of all monsters except Umi's." The field now reflected what Anny predicted.

Kaiba growled, "Kisama." Now what? I have monsters in my hand, but I've already summoned a monster this turn! All I can do is set a magic or trap card and none of my cards can protect me from a direct attack! "I set one card facedown, and end my turn."

Ananias looked pleased with the results so far, "My move." He played a magic card, "I'll now use the ritual card, White Dragon Ritual. When I sacrifice monsters equal to or more than four stars, I can summon a creature known as Paladin of White Dragon." Another dragon appeared that looked a lot like Kaiba's Blue-Eyes, except that a white knight was riding it. "Now we'll see who is superior, Kaiba. Attack him my beast!"

"Not so fast, tough guy!" Joey interjected, "Ya ferget 'bout me? Las' time I checked, richboy an' me were a team, and teammates protect each otha'!" He flipped his facedown card, "Which is why I activate dis card- A Hero Emerges!"

Kaiba's face twitched, "I didn't ask for help, you dog."

"You weren't list'nen'! We're a team! Now let me finish my move!" Joey turned back to his real opponent, "Like I was saying, I play A Hero Emerges. Dis trap card allows you to randomly pick 'un card from my hand! If it's a magic or trap card it goes ta da graveyard, but if it's a monsta' I can summon it, no matter how many stars its got!"

"So your relying on luck?"

The blonde smirked, "Always have. Now pick!" He held up his hand. If he picks the middle one or the farthest one on my right I can save Kaiba's keista'. But if not, I'll lose a card I need! Better hope for the best. "So are ya chickenin' out or what?"

Anny's face was masked as he thought, "If I went with my gut, I'd say the second on the left."

Joey put on his poker face, "Well I'm sure your gut would like you to listen to it…"

"But-"

Joey shrugged, "But nothing, if you really want this card, I won't stop you."

"Hm." Ananias thought. Well, this is quite a predicament. He might be telling the truth, and that card is actually a powerful monster, or he's bluffing and it's just a magic or trap card. But would he bluff? He says he always takes a chance; if that's true, his poker face must be top notch, along with bluffs. If he can take chances though, so can I. "I choose…" his eyes ran over the cards one more time, "The card… on my left."

Joey laughed, "Well, let's see how well you chose. The card on your left, and my right, is none other than-" he placed the card on the field, "-my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The mighty black dragon roared at its foe. "Now dat I got a monsta on da field, I can use it ta intacept your Paladin of White Dragon!" The monsters confronted each other only for the Red-Eyes to be victorious. "And your dragon's bu-bye!"

"Very well, I end my turn." The boy still looked unfazed, though through his thoughts he was becoming worried about this duel.

Joey smirked, "Awrigh', my move!" He drew and summoned another monster to the field, "I summon Des Kangaroo in attack mode!" An odd kangaroo with neon boxing gloves took its place next to Red-Eyes. "I hope you don't think that I'm gonna letcha get away wit' attackin' my partna' last turn! Your going down! Guys, get rid of that freak's life points!!"

Kaiba chuckled, "Looks like you've been bested by the weakest duelist here. Lucky you."

The monsters again charged Anny and this time it really looked like he'd bitten the dust, until the waves beneath them raised up to protect him.

"Wha'? What's goin' on?"

Umi's cheerful voice answered him, "Duh, stupid. I'm Anny's partner and I can protect him just as well as you can protect Kaiba."

Kaiba's face twitched again, "He didn't protect me!"

"Uh, whatever. Anyway, now that my trap's in play you can't do diddlysquat!"

Joey pondered this. A trap card dat can protect da botha dem. Wait! Is it… "Tornado Wall?!"

"Yep, I can use Tornado Wall cuz A Legendary Ocean can be treated as Umi the field magic card. Sorta like a new and improved version." Now we're untouchable, while they are sitting ducks.

"Ggrrr, fine. I'll end my turn just like this." Joey groaned. Man, I was dis close ta wipin' him out, an da little brat hadta get in da way!

Umi drew, "My move. I summon my Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 in attack mode. This card can attack you directly but I really won't need to."

"Oh, why not? Still think I'm dat much a pushova?!"

"Well I do but that's not the reason." She flipped her facedown monster card face up, "I summon my Gale Lizard that I set last turn. Because it was flipped face up, I can send one monster on the field to the person's hand. And I choose your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Joey swore as he had to remove his powerful monster from the field.

"Hehe, so now I attack your Des Kangaroo with my Amphibious Bugroth!" Joey's monster was eliminated. "Next I attack you directly with Gale Lizard!" Another chunk of life points were destroyed. "I'll just end there, so I give you a chance to live"

"Umi! Why didn't you attack Kaiba?!" Anny, for the first time, showed an emotion stronger than indifference. "He's the real target here!"

"What difference does it make? They'll both be defeated eventually, and I figured you wanted to fight Kaiba yourself." The girl shrugged it off.

Kaiba drew, "It's my turn!" He looked at his hand, "Hm, alright. I activate the magic card, Pot of Greed. Now I can draw two more cards from my deck." Kaiba drew before playing his next card, "The Cheerful Coffin. With its ability, I can send up to three cards from my hand to the grave. And this is the perfect card to part with. My Blue-Eyes. "Next I'll play Shisha Sousei, which will revive the monster I just discarded, my ultimate beast, the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" An extravagant white dragon appeared on the field. It looked so fierce and destructive but also beautiful and perfect. I can't attack anyway, so I may as well not try. "I set another monster facedown and one magic card facedown. Now I end my turn."

Anny actually looked mad now, for almost no reason whatsoever. "Ore-sama no turn." He drew his card, but this time, he laughed in hysterics, "Hahahahhahah, I play the magic card Premature Burial! I use it too revive the monster I sacrificed to summon my Paladin, my ultimate monster, my own Blue-Eyes!! Now I want you to sacrifice yourself my beast to destroy Kaiba's monster!!" The two white dragons fired their White Lightning attacks at one another, only for them both to be destroyed. "I end my turn!! Haahahhahah!!"

Umi's eyes grew teary, "Anny? What's wrong? Anny?"

"Hahahahahhhahah!!" Ananias's eyes looked like Marik's when he was possessed by his darker half. "Hehehe, I'm fine!"

"Heh, you heard him, he's fine. So make your move, Wheeler."

The blonde was skeptical. I don't know 'bout Kaiba, but I had my share a evil mastaminds an' he's definitely evil mastamind material. But oh well, he's gots ta go down somehow. "Alrigh', I draw!" Okay, looks like Anny blew whateva cards he's got last turn, so I don't hafta worry 'bout him. But da girl's Ocean card and Tornado Wall'll keep 'em both safe. And with Amphibious Bugroth, it doesn't matter if I summon a monster because it can attack directly. So… I need to find a way to make that card unable to attack. "I play the magic card, Ekibyo Drakmord! Wit' dis card I can stop one monster from attacking. Afta it's been attached for two turns, it destroys the monsta and goes back to my hand! So I attach it to your Amphibious Bugroth!" For now I should be a'ight, so long as she doesn't get anotha monsta. "Dat's all fer now."

Umi smirked, her worries about her partner forgotten, "I knew you were just a weakling. Now's my chance to prove it! I sacrifice my two monsters for the Amphibian Beast!" A monster that could be compared to the creature of the black lagoon appeared where the other two monsters were. "Now I'll attack your life points directly Joey!"

"Hold it!" In a surprise move, Kaiba stepped in. "I play the magic card, Card of Sanctity! With this, every duelist must draw until they have six cards." With the card in effect, each duelist drew until there was six cards in their hands.

Joey drew, and saw what was in his hand. It figures! I finally get the card that could win us this duel, and I'm about to be toast.

Kaiba also inspected his hand, pleased with the results. Good. I now have Exchange, but my plan will only work if Wheeler got the card. "Next I activate my card called Exchange!"

Umi looked puzzled, "Why'd ya do that? It's not like we have any cards you can use."

Kaiba finished his move, "I wasn't worried about you. I wanted to see if little Joey over here had a card worthy of being mine." Kaiba walked over. "So let's see it."

Joey held up his hand, a straight poker face mask on him. He watched Kaiba take a card, a card that could win the duel. For once he was glad that he and Kaiba were working together. Here Kaiba, take it. "An' a'course richboy, I get one a your cards." Joey searched through his hand before he saw the most worthless card that was in there and took it. If you don't win now Kaiba, well, then there's no hope for you as a duelist.

Umi perked up again, "So, didja get the card you wanted?"

"I think you have more pressing matters to take care of, like beating Wheeler."

"Attack!" Umi called on the attack again, but this time, it didn't stop, and Joey was the first out of the duel.

The blonde took a deep breath, "Good luck… Kaiba," and then he fainted.

"I think I'll end my turn now, not really much else to do right now."

Kaiba laughed, "I draw! You do realize that by ending your turn so abruptly, you have sealed both of your demises!" He placed the card he got from Joey on the field, "Harpie's Feather Duster! With this one card, I eliminate your Ocean strategy, which allows me to cause you some damage!"

Umi cocked her head, "Duh, stupid. I've still got a monster on the field and you can't attack Anny without me stepping in."

Kaiba laughed, "Don't worry, I'll find a way around your monster. For now I'll play my trap card, The Secret Barrel! Now, each of you loses 300 life points for every card on your side of the field and in your hand. That's about half of your original life points each."

"Yeah, well, I've still got enough to stay in the game." Umi pointed out."

"Soon enough, I'll beat you. Now I flip the monster card I summon last turn, my Stealth Bird! With its effects one of you will lose 1000 life points, and I choose… you Ananias!" The bluish bird took on a stealthy invisible form which attacked Anny unnoticed. Kaiba took a card out of his hand, "Now I activate the magic card Ookazi, which will eliminate the last of your life points!" A fire blazed out of the magic card which engulfed Anny, destroying his last precious life points. "And don't worry, little Umi. I didn't forget about you. For now I activate the Enemy Controller magic card. By sacrificing my own monster, I can take control… of yours!" The Amphibian Beast turned on its owner to follow Kaiba's orders, "Now my beast, Attack!" With that, the last duelist was Seto Kaiba.

Ananias cried out in pain; he had yet to faint, "I will defeat you Kaiba! You have only prolonged your inevitable defeat!!" As he laughed insanely, he ran off Kaiba's lawn and away from the duel site, leaving Kaiba alone to help Joey and Umi.

"Why do I think these losers keep getting me into things?"