Chapter 9: Misha's Second Chance
Misha went back to his quarters and collapsed on his bed, as he slowly turned over he thought to himself, "Lord, what have I done? I've literally given a rival's little brother a fate worse than death. I've helped the devil in acquiring a corporation on a sierra of with held information, on an empire of treachery. I don't know what to do at this point?"
Just then a voice answered, "You could let Kaiba win…if you two duel again that is?" Misha turned in head to see the transparent form of the Spirit of the Bracelet sitting down on the bed next to him. Misha shook his head and said, "No, no, no…it was humiliating enough the first time. I'm not going down that road again!" The Spirit sighed and said, "Well then, there are really only two options for you…either beat Kaiba and feel even more lousy, or take the dive and disappoint Pegasus?" Misha rolled over on his belly and said, "I wish I didn't have to do either."
Misha drifted into a nap, in that nap he then again say the Ghost Pool. He then looked in it and said: "Well, you didn't help me much with finding the holder of the Millennium Ring. Could you show me something else; I feel in my blood that right now Yugi and Kaiba are dueling. What I need to know is 'who will win'?" Suddenly the Ghost pool showed him the Millennium Puzzle, below that was a broken wine bottle. Misha looked at it and said, "A broken spirit…so Kaiba is the victor of this duel?"
Suddenly the image changed to show a few chest pieces, A Black King and Knight piece and a White Knight and Pawn piece. Misha didn't know what that meant. Suddenly the image went completely black in the pool; suddenly a red glowing dot appeared in the middle of the pool. Misha stared at it; suddenly a gear appeared around the red dot, followed by a white oblong shape. Misha then saw that it was an eye, not a human eye…but a magic eye, an ancient magic eye.
Suddenly the jewel of Misha's bracelet started to glow, its red light frightened Misha right out of his nap. Misha then walked to the dining hall and saw Pegasus there already. Misha asked, "So, who won the duel?" Pegasus told him that Kaiba won using this new dueling system his company made, Misha looked at the giant screen and saw that Kaiba was on his way to the arena. Pegasus looked at Misha and said, "Why don't we go and greet him?" Misha then said, "M.P, I'd like to make a prediction? I predict that Yugi and his friends will be here in the castle before the day is through? Would you like to make a wager on that?"
Misha followed Pegasus to the area where the finals would be held, on the other side of the bridge Misha saw Kaiba. Misha thought to himself, "I just wish I could say I was sorry to the guy? I didn't mean to put his family through so much, vell…whatever happens will be okay with me." Misha then took a look around and saw that Yugi and his friends were here at the finals, probably to watch Kaiba's next duel.
Misha turned his attention back to Pegasus and Kaiba, at this point Pegasus said, "Kaiba boy, you fulfilled your promise…for this you'll be allowed to duel for your brothers' soul. But may I suggest a warm up match for you first?" Both Kaiba and Misha looked surprised by this announcement…Pegasus continued with: "Yes, a warm up match…and not just any warm up match. But one that will settle a rivalry that's been a year in the making. Do you remember what today is Kaiba? Go ahead and guess." Kaiba looked lost in thought for a moment, Misha knew what day it was…but he couldn't remember the significance of it. Pegasus finished with, "Give up, well I'll tell you then…it is exactly been one year since you beat Misha in the I.C Tournament Finals, so your opponent will be Misha!"
Misha suddenly felt he spine freeze up, had Pegasus stood him up? Or was this an original part of the plan? So many questions, so few answers. Misha stared at Kaiba…it seemed as much a surprise to him as well, Misha finally snapped out of his trance and said, "Okay, I've been waiting a long time to test out my deck…all I can say is Kaiba, you have little hope of winning."
Kaiba smirked slightly and said, "Misha…you'll be no challenge at all, catch!" Kaiba threw Misha a duel disk and continued: "We'll duel using these, it shouldn't be very difficult for you." Misha looked at the duel disk and said, "I don't know how to use this? This is not a game system, it is but a hunk of steel you welded together to look like something useful!" Misha then put it on the ground and then kicked it back to Kaiba. Misha continued: "If you're going to duel me…we're going to duel the way I learned to."
Just then the bridge disconnected and a giant dueling arena was lowered from the ceiling above them, the bridge then connected to the arena and they were set. Misha pulled out his deck and said, "Here are the rules, we'll cut our opponents deck…when they are returned to us look at the bottom card, the one with the highest level monster will go first…is that clearly understood?" Kaiba nodded, when the decks were cut and returned to their owners Misha said, "Three…what did you get?" Kaiba looked and said, "Zero…but no worries, this'll be short."
Misha drew his five cards and sixth and said, "For my first move I play Cyber Falcon in attack mode…and I'll also play three cards face down! Your move Kaiba." Kaiba looked at Misha's opening move and remembered something familiar about it, he thought to himself, "Where have I seen this before…Wait, the Finals…this was his same opening move!" Kaiba then looked at his hand and saw that nearly all the cards in his hand were the same ones in that first turn! Kaiba said, "Your first move might be the same as it was that day, but it still won't save you! I play Ryu-Kishin Powered in attack mode and play one card face down and end-!" Kaiba was suddenly cut off by Misha saying, "In that case I activate my trap card Bottomless Trap hole!" Just then Kaiba watched as his monster was swallowed up the arena. Misha smiled and said, "You know Kaiba there is a saying I have heard...those that don't remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. And since it is my turn again now…Cyber Falcon, attack Kaiba's Life Points directly! Oh, and I nearly forgot I play one card face down to end my turn." Kaiba could only watch as his Life Points went from 2000 to 600.
Kaiba gave Misha a cold look and said; "Fine Misha, but I'll still beat you! And since your turn in over, I play Rude Kaiser in attack mode and have him carve up your mechanical canary. Misha's Life Points fell to 1600; Misha just sighed and said, "Easy come…easy go. Are you done?" Kaiba shook his head and said, "I also play my magic card Invigoration which increases Rude Kaisers' attack power by 400 points, now I'm finished." Misha looked at his cards and said, "Dear me…it seems you have me in a corner?" Misha drew his next card and said, "Or do you? I play Witty Phantom in defense mode, but that's not all…I also play one of my face down cards Offerings to the Doomed. Now vhat this little card does is destroy one face up monster, mainly your Rude Kaiser. But with me playing this card I now have a dilemma for I must skip my next draw phase. And with that it is your move."
Kaiba drew his next card and said, "I play-!" Misha cut him off again saying, "Wait, now I see my chance to use this! I activate my last face down card Gamble. Now let me explain to you how this card works, I at this moment only have one card in my hand…and you have six, doesn't that seem unfair…well this trap card can change that! All I have to do is flip a coin and call HEADS or TAILS, if I guess right I get to draw until I have five cards in my hand…but if I guess wrong I have to skip another draw phase. Well here goes nothing?" Misha flipped the coin, on its way back down to the field Misha shouted, "TAILS!" They watched as the coin rolled around a bit then fell to one side, and that side was…tails. Misha gave a sigh of relief and drew his new hand. Misha said, "Well lucky me I suppose, as you were saying?" Kaiba looked back at his hand and said, "Now I play Saggi the Dark Clown in attack mode, I also play one card face down and end my turn."
Misha studied the field carefully and said, "I guess all I can do is play this monster face down defense, switch my Witty Phantom to attack mode, and play these two cards, Mystic Plasma Zone and Rain of Mercy! Now allow me to explain these cards to you…Rain of Mercy boost both our Life Points by 1000, meaning I'm now at 2600 and you're at 1600. Mystic Plasma Zone is a card that helps our monsters by giving them a 500-attack point boost. Now, Witty Phantom attack that blasted clown…it is starting to annoy me. Oh…and I put one more card face down, your move." Suddenly Kaiba's Life Points went from 1600 to 800.
Kaiba was starting to get really T'd off with Misha, the next card Kaiba drew was probably the one he need now the most. It was one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons, Kaiba gave a look of 'about time' and said, "That's it, PLAY TIME IS OVER!" Misha then shouted, "HOLD IT! STOP RIGHT THERE! I'd like to play a little guessing game with that card? You're probably saying to yourself 'what am I talking about!' Well the card I put down on the field was none other than Prophecy, with this card I have to guess if the card in your hand if above or below 1500 attack points? If I guess right then I get the card, simple enough?" Misha looked as if he was in a deep sanction of thought then said, "I think that the card you're about to play is above 1500 attack points, but then I think what could it possibly be? Then I answer my question with 'what was taken from me long ago by you?' and the answer is simple. It is one of the Blue Eyes White Dragons!"
Kaiba looked completely stunned, but regained his nerves and said, "Okay, not like its going to do any good for you anyway." Misha looked at it and said, "Ah, old friend…we've been reunited at long last." Kaiba played one card face down to end his turn. Misha said, "My turn, I draw and see that this is the card I'd like to play…but I'll let you live for one more turn, I'll just flip up my face down monster: Mask of Darkness, use it's effect, and end my turn." Misha reached into his graveyard and pulled a card out of it (a trap card due to the effect of Mask of Darkness). Kaiba looked at Misha's side of the field; so far things had been pitted up against him. But he wasn't going to give up that easy, he drew a card and said, "I play Sword Stalker in attack mode, and I think I'll attack that Phantom of yours, and I'll put one card face down and that's it." Misha just sighed again as his Life Points went down from 2600 to 2000, Kaiba just didn't understand…how could Misha's confidence be that strong? At the end of his turn Misha decided to play his Barrel Dragon, but then thought that Kaiba might see that coming. Then he thought maybe it was time to play the Blue Eyes…now that he had it, he had to use it. He looked up at Kaiba and said, "Now I play-!" But Kaiba quickly said, "Ain't gonna happen Misha, I activate my face down card Trap Hole!" Misha then said, "But you didn't here what monster I was going to play? Now as I was saying, Now I play Blue Eyes White Dragon in attack mode, but seeing as you Trap Holed it, and also seeing as it was your monster, it returns to your graveyard. In other words, good going Seto!"
Kaiba didn't know what to think all he could do was have his Sword Stalker attack Mask of Darkness, and that ended his turn. Misha said, "What Kaiba…no more surprises? No more last minute calls? Indeed how you have changed. Now it is my turn! Now I play Barrel Dragon, but not only will I do that…I'll also activate its' effect. Which starts with the flipping of a coin, as you can see there are three gun-like structures on Barrel Dragon's back. I'll flip the coin, if it lands HEADS twice, your monster is destroyed. Is that understood?" Kaiba nodded, Misha flipped the coin. It landed on tails, Misha flinched…then flipped the coin a second time, it landed on heads. Misha and Kaiba both knew that the fate of Sword Stalker would come down to a single flip of the coin, Misha flipped the coin. They both watched to see luck's final verdict, Misha bit his upper lip. When the coin came to a rest Misha looked at it and smiled…HEADS! The effect of Barrel Dragon was a go, Misha looked at Kaiba and said: "I guess you know vhat this means…the duel is over, you lose!" Kaiba couldn't do anything but watch Misha's Barrel Dragon send his Life Points down to 0, and there lied the final verdict…Misha had won.
Misha then walked right over to Seto's side of the field and said, "You fought well today, there were actually a few times I thought you truly did have me." Misha then looked up at his spectators and pointed to them saying, "And I'm going to expect you to know what this means!" Misha then returned to the entranceway, Pegasus all ready. Misha said, "He's all yours boss."
Well to speed things along, some of us know how Kaiba's match with Pegasus ended. Misha didn't care how the match ended so he took a walk out into the courtyard of the castle, Misha then looked at the evening sky and said, "This is it…I'm back and better than before, beware all finalists…for when stepping through that door into the castle, you left all your luck behind. So now all of you are just holding on to a prayer!"
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