AN: Thanks for all the reviews. They are so lovely. Here is a new chappter for your enjoyment. And don't forget to review!
The next day came slow and reluctant, even colder and bleaker. Isis looked in better health. She was no longer so pale. What ever she knew and thought about the incident last night, she said nothing, though she looked grateful.
The morning was spent scraping together fuel for the fireplace and food for the stomach, and it passed in silent peace. After lunch snow was beginning to fall again, first softly then with a great vigour. Isis stood by the window, looking out distractedly. Finally she said, "I want to go outside for a moment."
"To do what?" Asked Kaiba from his seat in front of the computer, his voice impassive.
"To search for some answers." Isis said calmly. "Come with me."
They descended a few flight of stairs, went through a large window out of the building. It was freezing outside, but neither of them seemed perturbed. Isis raised her head and looked at the sky. There was nothing she could see save dancing snowflakes and the endless grey of the heaven above.
"What are you going to do?" Kaiba asked flatly.
Isis did not reply. Instead she closed her eyes and concentrated. Waves of shadow emitted from her, pulsing and racing away, before at last vanishing from his sight. There was no response, only silence and the falling snow. Finally she opened her eyes, and she looked wretched.
"No luck?" Kaiba asked with slightly furrowed brow.
"Nothing." She replied wearily. "Nothing in the radius of ten miles. No spells, no rituals, no magical residues, just untraceable shadows."
"Perhaps the storm is natural after all." Kaiba finally said after a moment of silence.
Isis shook her head and said, "I do not see how that is possible. I am not expert, but I do not think weather can change so abruptly. There must be something behind it."
"But that something may not be here in New York." Kaiba said sharply. "A catalyst may be planted thousands of miles away, and the effect felt here."
Isis did not reply at first. Finally she said quietly, "And there is nothing I can do now." The snow now poured down with such vigour, turning the world into a frenzy of white. Isis stared before her, and there was despair in the depth of her sea coloured eyes.
"Let's go back inside." Kaiba said with a never-heard and awkward gentleness.
Sighing Isis nodded. Without another words they both went inside the building once more. The day wore on in a brooding silence, and there was a silent dismay in the air, oppressive to the point of being suffocating. Finally Kaiba suggested a duel.
Isis looked at him with clear bemusement. Finally she said with a curious look in her eyes, "I thought you considered most too inferior in skill to duel with you."
Kaiba glared, and then said nonchalantly, "It is only a duel for entertainment's sake. You did make the Battle City finals, so I suppose you can last long enough to provide decent pastime."
Isis laughed softly and said, "Even when you are trying to be kind, you don't seem to be able to forgo your insults. Very well, we will have a duel. A normal cards-on-the-table duel, or a Shadow Game?"
Kaiba threw her an incredulous look, before answering, "Neither, especially not a Shadow Game. I have a prototype of a new duelling system in my brief case, and we will use those."
He opened his brief case and took out two devices that looked like rectangular boxes with tilted sides. Placing the devices on the table, he turned them on and selected one for himself. He took out his deck from his briefcase also and inserted it into the appropriate slot on the device.
"This is a newly developed system." He explained rapidly. "A tabletop duelling system fit for casual play. They produce smaller holograms, and are a lot easier on the batteries."
"It seems a little tame compared to your other systems." Isis commented with a smile, taking out her own deck from a drawer and slotted in the device.
The machines hummed, as the duel began. Both players drew five cards, and the life point counter rolled to 4000. "Be my guest, my lady. Make the first move." Kaiba said with a well nigh mocking voice. There was now a passionate fire in his eyes that only flamed for his little brother, or this game. Isis sighed. So much for a casual duel.
She drew a card. "First move." She declared. "I summon Forager of Lost Spells in attack mode."
She put her card on the device. Almost immediately the image of an old, bent woman wrapped in black and grey rags with a straw basket in hand appeared. Kaiba looked at the monster disdainfully. It was a simple level four creature with 1400 attack and defence power. Strong, perhaps, but by no means extraordinary.
"Now I play the magic card Pot of Greed." Isis said quietly, placing the card named in her Graveyard, and drew two more cards from her deck.
Kaiba suddenly noticed that the old woman monster now had a smooth black stone in the basket in her hand, and her attack and defence just climbed to 1600.
"A magic-counter creature?" He asked with surprise.
Isis smiled, "How very perceptive of you, Seto. This monster increases its attack and defence by 200 points for every spell card activated. My turn isn't over yet. Now I play Graceful Charity." Rapidly she threw another card into her graveyard, drew three more from her deck and discarded two from her hand, never hesitating a moment.
"And one last spell card before I end my turn. I play Delinquent Duo." She threw one more card down, and looked at her opponent with a beautiful smile. "I pick the leftmost card in your hand."
With a growl Kaiba threw that card down. That was his Kaiser Seahorse he was hoping to put to use later. "And now you choose one more." Isis reminded in her soft voice.
"I know the effect of Delinquent Duo." Kaiba said coldly, throwing down his Crush Virus card.
Isis raised an eyebrow, "I didn't think you would surrender a card like that?"
"Do you really think you can anticipate my strategy?" Kaiba said bluntly.
Isis shrugged in that airy and elegant way of hers, and said, "I end my turn. Your move."
Kaiba drew a card from his deck, and contemplated his situation silently. One turn and Isis had already put him on the defensive, summoning a monster and pumping its attack to an impressive 2000. Then again, she was certainly not the only one who can summon a hit monster in one turn.
"Alright then, my turn." He said confidently. "First, I play Monster Reborn to revive my Kaiser Seahorse."
The armoured creature appeared in a shower of silver sparks.
"And then, I will tribute it and using its effect to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon!"
Kaiser Seahorse slowly faded, to be replaced by a great dragon of purest white, with wings vast like sails of ancient ships. Though it was much smaller than what they were accustomed to see, it was an imposing sight nonetheless.
"Now my dragon, attack her Forager of Lost Spells!"
"Not so fast." Isis said. "I activate the monster's effect."
The hologram of the old woman in rags tilted her basket and the three black stones that rested there dropped to the ground. They rolled towards the dragon, surrounded it, and began to revolve around the dragon, faster and faster, until at last swallowing the dragon in a torrent of black wind.
Isis threw him one more smile, and said, "I guess it escaped my mind to inform you of the monster's other effect. I can remove three magic counters on this card to destroy one card on the opponent's field."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he regarded the Egyptian woman with annoyance. Was that a mischievous glee he saw in her eyes? Must be an effect of the game, he thought irritably. "I place one card facedown and end my turn." He said in a flat voice. The hologram of a single card appeared, standing vertically with the back facing towards Isis.
Isis drew another card, and declared her move, "I summon Pixie Knight in attack mode, and attack your life points directly." A little winged sprite appeared, brandishing a staff in a cute manner. The attack hardly seemed like anything, but Kaiba's life points rolled down and now appeared 2700.
"Did I just call off your bluff?" Isis teased with a soft laugh.
Kaiba replied coldly, "You would wish."
"Now I will attack your life points directly with Forager of Lost Spells." Isis ignored him, and went on with her move.
"Right where I wanted you." Kaiba smirked, and flipped his facedown card. "Activate Metal Shield."
A large shield of glowing silver now appeared before him, and reflected the image of a puzzled and frightened Pixie Knight. The attack hit the shield full force, and Pixie Knight vanished along with the silver shield.
"Clever." Isis commented nonchalantly, uncaring that her life points dropped by 100. "Now my Pixie Knight is destroyed in battle, its effect is activated." Kaiba said nothing, but selected the Graceful Charity card from her graveyard, and put it on top of her deck.
"My thanks." She said teasingly, and slotted two more cards facedown on the machine. "And your move."
Kaiba drew a card, and slammed it down. "It's my turn to play a Pot of Greed now." He said, drawing two more cards from his deck.
Obviously pleased with what he drew, he placed down another card with a smirk, saying, "I play Drillago in attack mode."
Isis looked at the silver machine that now appeared on the field and said mildly, "Impressive, but hardly enough."
"Oh it is enough for the fish I want to fry." He said. "When the opponent has only monsters with 1600 attack or more, Drillago can attack life point directly. Which is what I will do now, seeing your monster has one magic counter on it and exactly 1600 attack points."
The small machine leaped at its master's command, and jumped at Isis, drills and all, lowering her life point to 2300. She seemed slightly startled, and commanded, "Your new system may be small, but not at all lacking your usual ferocity."
"I thank you for the compliment." Kaiba said dryly. "I place two more cards facedown on the field and end my turn." He slotted two more cards in the device, and waited for Isis to make her move.
"I will play Graceful Charity first. Your generosity of course." She said, drawing three more cards and discarding two rapidly. "And then I summon Swift Kite in attack mode."
A tenacious looking bird of prey appeared, looking fierce with its plume of pure gold. Its attack was a soaring 1900.
"Now my faithful hunter, attack his Drillago."
Kaiba flipped a facedown card daftly. There was a sudden flash of white light, and the attack rebounded off the invisible wall and went back to Isis's monsters instead.
"I think you are well acquainted with Mirror Force?" Kaiba asked mockingly.
"Acquainted enough to have prepared for its coming." Isis said with a light smile, flipping both of her facedown cards.
There was an explosion of light. When the field finally cleared there was still one monster remaining on the field. It was a young woman holding a wide glass basin with smooth black stones rolling inside.
"What did you do?" Kaiba asked with a growl, eyes narrowing.
"Two quick-play magic cards." She explained smoothly. "I played Painful Revenge, which let you take the same amount of damage as I did this turn, destroying all of your monsters in attack mode. I also discarded a card to activate Summoning call and summoned Vessel of Spells, which gains all the magic counters on the cards sent to graveyard from my side of the field."
Kaiba eyed the monster dubiously and objected, "Your monster only had two magic counters on it, not five."
"Ah, but Swift Hawk has another effect. When it is sent to the graveyard, I can place three magic counters on any card on my side of the field." She answered with a smile. "It's your turn now."
Kaiba said no more and drew another card.
"It's time we take the game up a notch." He said haughtily. "First I activate the trap card Magic Mirror of Machine. It allows me to activate a magic card in your graveyard as my own, and I choose Pot of Greed."
He drew two more cards, and then progressed with his move. "I summon Luster Dragon in attack mode."
A sleek winged creature emerged. It was sapphire coloured and looked most beautiful.
"Then I special summon a Dragon Clone, in attack mode also. The Dragon Clone can gain the attack, defence and attack of any other monster on the field of my choosing."
An unrecognizable blob suddenly appeared, and slowly its shape melted into that of the Luster Dragon, exactly identical, with the same powerful 1900 attack.
"It's not over just yet. I activate the magic card Revival of Diamond Sword, and offer my Dragon Clone as a tribute to summon Diamond Head Dragon from my deck with 1000 more attack."
Another dragon appeared. This one was larger than the other, with a jaded green colour, its vast beautiful wings folded meekly.
"My Diamond Head Dragon has an attack of 2900, more than enough to destroy your monster with only 2600 defence. Now my dragon, attack." Kaiba said with a smirk.
But before the attack could reach its target, numerous brown-furred green-clawed little creatures appeared, absorbing the attack before vanishing in a shower of sparks. The Vessel of Spells remained on the field, completely unharmed.
"I take it that you are well acquainted with Kuriboh?" Isis said, her voice a teasing imitation of Kaiba's own.
Kaiba let loose an almost imperceptible sigh of frustration. This was not going to end anytime soon, apparently.
Kaiba watched as the Egyptian woman before him drew another card, the light in her eyes betraying the furious calculations in her mind. He was both shocked and baffled. He had never seen her like this. Her deck was completely changed. And that was not all. Last time he duelled her in Battle City, she was so meek and passive, playing her game robotically with despair hidden behind her perfectly calm demeanour. But now she played with a fluent grace, matching him move for move. Last time, she was a challenge, a difficult obstacle on his way to the peak, but now she was an opponent that would and could snatch victory from him any second.
Slowly but surely his lips curled into a grim smile. He hadn't had a single decent duel ever since his match against Yugi in Battle City, and he surely could use one now. The natural competitiveness in him stirred and welled, and he completely sank himself in the game. A hard duel it might be, but he was going to win, no questions about it. In the meantime, it was Isis's turn.
"I hope you noticed, my Vessel of Spells gains another spell counter during each of my Standby Phase." She said softly.
Kaiba made some impatient sound and didn't bother replying otherwise.
"I summon Forger of Emerging Spells in attack mode." Isis said, placing down a card. A monster appeared with the slightly augmented hum of the machine. It was another woman figure, this time a young fair girl dressed like a shepherdess, also with 1400 attack and defence. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, not knowing whether to be alarmed or amused.
"I sacrifice my Vessel of Spells to place all the spell counters on the monster I just summoned." She continued, watching with a smile as her new monster's attack soared to 2600, thanks to the added spell counters.
She then went on with her move, "Now Forger of Emerging Spells, attack his Luster Dragon." Kaiba almost winced as he saw his dragon shatter into a million points of light and his life points slid to 2000.
"I am not finished yet." Isis said. "My monster's effect allows me to remove three magic counters to draw two more cards from my deck. So I will remove all six counters to draw four more cards." She did so, and placed one more card facedown and ended her turn.
Kaiba drew a card and smirked. This was exactly what he needed. "I play Mirroring Strategy!" He slammed down a card on the machine. "This card allows me to duplicate one action you took in your last turn, and I think drawing four more cards would suit me well at this moment."
He drew four more cards, and slotted one into the machine facedown. "Now, Diamond Head Dragon, attack her monster."
"Reveal facedown card, Book of Moon." Isis said, flipping her card.
"That is not going to save you." Kaiba said with a smirk. "I come prepared. Reveal Spell Shield Type 8!"
Daftly he flipped his own facedown card up. There was an explosion of light as both spell and trap cleared the field. The attack from Diamond Head Dragon flew on, and was about to obliterate Isis's monster, when suddenly a golden mist rose and clouded the field, gently easing the attack to nothing.
"Impossible!" Kaiba exclaimed.
"It is simple really," Isis explained placidly, "I discarded my Mist of Another Realm earlier in the game. As long as that card exists in my graveyard, I can pay 300 life points to block one attack. Of course, that effect can be used only once."
"Interesting." Kaiba muttered with an unreadable tone, placing down one more card facedown, and ended his turn.
Isis drew another card and regarded her hand.
"First I play Tribute to the Doomed, discard a card to destroy your Diamond Head Dragon. Then I play Painful Choice."
She drew five cards, and showed them to Kaiba. Without hesitation he chose Coiling Cobra, a level four monster with little attack and high defence. The other four cards were discarded to the graveyard. Kaiba was baffled just the slightest. Painful Choice was a costly card, and he had only seen it used a handful time. His pondering was cut short when Isis declared a direct attack. Distractedly he flipped Waboku, and managed to escape the attack.
"I remove three magic counters from my monster to draw two more cards." Isis said. "I set one more monster facedown and another card facedown. Your turn now, Seto."
"I summon another Luster Dragon in attack mode," He declared, "And attack your Forger of Emerging Spells."
"I play Shift." Isis said, and calmly flipped the said card.
The attack from Kaiba's dragon took a detour and hit the facedown monster that was never intended as a target. The monster was flipped face up, and a Kaiba caught a glimpse of the grotesque creature before it was sent to the graveyard.
"Morphing Jar?" He exclaimed with obvious disbelieve.
"Correct." Isis said with a smile. "A most useful critter it is. You know of its effect, of course?"
Reluctantly Kaiba discarded his hand, for it contained his precious Lord of D, and drew five more cards. Isis did the same, and he saw some high level monsters among the cards discarded. He was much mystified. Just what was that woman trying to pull? He regarded his new hand, and saw nothing useful in the immediate future. With faint irritation he ended his turn. This time Isis didn't do much. She set another monster facedown, with two more cards facedown in the spell/trap zone, and ended her turn.
Kaiba drew again, and sized up the situation silently. With mixed bemusement and amusement he noticed how Isis's graveyard was piled up much higher than his own. And it was then the idea struck him. He suddenly realized what Isis must have been planning. Silently he cursed his own stupidity. That damned trap card had him cornered the last time he duelled her, and still he couldn't remember to be wary! But it is too late now. Of course, he could always try to end the game before Reversed World was played. He looked at his hand, and a plan emerged.
"I play the magic card Priceless Spell. It allows me to tribute one monster from the field to return one magic card to my hand, and I will take Monster Reborn." He opened his move, feeling the onrush of victory, and couldn't help but smirk again.
"Then I will reborn my Lord of D to the field." A shower of sparks now revealed the spell-caster garbed in dragon bones.
"And I play Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring two Blue Eyes White Dragons to the field. Now my Blue Eyes, attack her monster!"
He didn't really think the attack would go through. Expectedly, Isis flipped one of her facedown card, a Negate Attack. He set one more card facedown and ended his turn. He couldn't possibly lose now, and if luck spins his way, he might even bring out his ultimate creature.
Isis drew another card.
"I play Double Spell."
"Exactly what I have been waiting for." Kaiba said with a laugh, flipping his facedown card. "Absorb Spell! So I will discard a spell card from my hand to activate Monster Reborn in your graveyard, resurrecting my last Blue Eyes White Dragon. I suppose you know what happens in my next move?" He finished off tauntingly.
"If I recall correctly, the duel is not yet over." Isis gave him a wry smile and went on with her move, flipping her facedown card. "Sword of Revealing Light. It will stop you from attacking for three turns. I will remove all six spell counters on my monster to draw four more cards and end my turn."
Kaiba laughed and said, "A mere stall card will not save you the duel, but struggle all you like." He drew another card and ended his turn without doing anything else.
Isis drew again, and her brow furrowed the slightest, seemingly disappointed with the draw. She set a monster facedown and ended her turn Kaiba also passed his turn only setting down one card facedown. When it was her turn again Isis flipped up her magician of faith, and retrieved Monster Reborn. Kaiba drew again, and he smirked, sure of his victory.
"Look at this. I barely needed it anymore, and I managed to draw it nonetheless. It only makes my victory more assured. I play Polymerization to fuse all my dragons together to create Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
There was a shower of green light, and the three dragons' forms shifted and melted, and then merged together to form a great three-headed dragon of immense power.
"I end my turn, then." Kaiba announced.
The Swords of Revealing Light fell away as the Isis started her move. She drew, and seeing the card she had drawn a light smile surfaced on her face. "If you think you have won, Seto, you are sorely mistaken."
Kaiba snorted with obvious scepticism.
"I will let my action speak." Isis said quietly. "First I will Monster Reborn my Forager of Spells from the graveyard, in attack mode. Then I will summon Finder of Hidden Spells, in attack mode also. When Forager, Finder and Forger are all face up on the field, I can pay 1000 life points to fuse them into one, Weaver of Spells."
The three creatures vanished into a sheet of light, and in their place now stood another monster. It was a woman clad in splendid robe of gold and silver, looking like a queen of some forgotten time. Its attack and defence were both 3300.
"Impressive," Kaiba commented nonchalantly, "But not quite enough to match my dragon."
"Don't worry, it will be soon enough." Isis said calmly. "First I will equip my Coiling Cobra to this monster, adding half of its defence and attack points to its mistress."
The cobra wound itself around the woman's arm, raising the attack and defence 3450 and 4350.
"I will remove ten cards in my graveyard from play, to add ten spell counters on my Weaver of Spells. I can remove five spell counters to bring back a level four or lower monster from my graveyard. I will resurrect Swift Kite, and also add it to Weaver of Spells as an equip card, raising its attack and defence to 4400 and 4800."
"Still not enough, I am afraid." Kaiba said with a rough laugh.
Isis shook her head and said teasingly, "You must have patience, Seto. I don't plan to attack your dragon just yet. I remove five more counters from Weaver of Spells to bring back my Pixie Knight, in attack mode. Pixie Knight, attack his Lord of D!"
The dragon taming spell-caster shattered, bringing Kaiba's life point down to 1900.
"Without your Lord of D, your dragon is quite vulnerable, and I have just the means to bring it down. I can half the defence of my Weaver of Spells to destroy one monster on the field, and that will be your dragon." She said with another smile, and watched with that same mischievous glee in her eyes as the great blue dragon was swallowed by a growing storm.
"Now we will finish this. Weaver of Spells, attack his life points directly." She shouted her last move.
"Ring of Destruction!" Kaiba flipped up his last face down card.
"Not going to work, Seto." She said laughingly. "My Weaver of Spells is immune to all magic and trap cards that specifically designate it as a target."
"Who said I was trying to hit your Weaver of Spells?" Kaiba asked cynically. "My target is your Pixie Knight!"
There was another explosion of light, and both players' life points rolled down to 0.
There was a moment of silence, before Kaiba threw down his hand and said with mixed amazement and disgust, "I have never tied a duel in my entire life."
"Nor have I." Isis said, amusement in her clear blue eyes. "But it must start somewhere. Good duel, Seto."
With a reluctant "humph" Kaiba acknowledged the praise. Isis glanced at the Kaiba's remaining cards and smiled, "And you had Cold Wave in your hand the whole time? You could have played it earlier, if you weren't so greedy for your Ultimate Dragon, and possibly won the duel…"
Her voice stopped abruptly, and her blue eyes narrowed, gaining a sudden sharpness. She was now staring at that magic card intently.
Kaiba's puzzled gaze passed from his cards to Isis, then back again. Finally he asked impatiently, "What is it?"
"This is the spell that had me so baffled." She exclaimed, her voice grave. "Cold Wave!"
I am not very proud of this chapter personally. sigh I got a little carried away, and spent well nigh 4000 words on a duel. But being the perfectionist obessessed with details as I am.... I swear the next chapter gets better. Er, most of the cards in this chapter are made up, by me. And some rulings are iffy too, I know. You have to pay 1000 lp to use Delinquent Duo. Sorry, I forgot about it until everything was finished. And I doubt you can use Absorp Spell like that.... Oh well. Chapters will not be that long ever again. I just thought two chapters of duel might be too much and was obliged to combine them.