Yu-Gi-Oh!
Duel for the Souls IN THE BEGINNING III: Rare Hunter's Revenge
Last Time:
Kaiba decides to find his brother himself, leaving the bureaucratic police to go about doing their own business.
Yugi and his friends visit Duke Devlin, and Joey obtains a new Red-eyes Black Dragon card, a Summoned Skull, and the complete Spirit Message set. On the way home, they are ambushed by a former Rare Hunter, who challenges Yugi for the Millennium Puzzle. But, this is the same Rare Hunter that beat Joey right before Battle City, and his new Exodia deck seems unstoppable . . .
"You are through, Yugi. So long as you have that Royal Decree card on the field, neither of us can play trap cards. But I don't need traps, because, in two turns, I shall draw the final piece of Exodia!"
He's right, Yugi thought. We really screwed up.
No we didn't, Yami, the spirit that resided inside the Millennium Puzzle, protested. We still have a card that can destroy the Royal Decree. This isn't over yet.
Yugi reached for his deck on the duel disk. Come on, deck! Don't let me down!
"I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." Lightforce Sword and Mystical Space Typhoon! These cards can do it!
"What did you get? Not that it matters. There's no way you can win now!"
"That's what you think. I'll set these two cards face-down, and switch my Red-eyes to defense mode."
"This duel is just about over," the Rare Hunter said. "I flip the Big Eye, and rearrange the top five cards on my deck—"
"Not so fast. I activate Lightforce Sword!"
"Your own Royal Decree card will negate it!" The Rare Hunter said.
"Not yet it won't, because I'm creating a chain. I activate a quick-play magic card, called Mystical Space Typhoon. It destroys Royal Decree before it negates my other trap card. Meaning I can still slash one of your cards out of the game for four whole turns." The dagger rocketed at the Hunter, spearing his hand, and appearing four feet behind him. Caught on the blade was a giant golden head with the traditional headdress of a pharaoh.
"Oh, no!" he cried. "You've hit Exodia's head!"
"Way to go, Yugi!" his friend called from behind him.
"Now, make your move."
"I will. I use Big Eye to rearrange my cards, so that, next turn, I'll have four pieces of Exodia. When your Lightforce Sword wears off, you'll be defeated."
"That's what you think. I set one card face-down, and summon Zombyra the Dark in attack mode."
"My turn I'll draw my—"
"Before you draw, I'll activate another trap card, Time Seal. It prevents you from drawing for one whole turn." The Rare Hunter growled. "And, for my turn, I summon another monster, Gamma the Magnet Warrior." Yugi smiled. "At the end of my turn, your Swords will wear off, and I'll be free to attack."
"Well, then. For my turn, I draw the fourth piece of Exodia. And at the end of my next turn, I'll have the fifth one back in my hand, and you'll be through. "
"I still have one more turn, then."
"Now, for this turn, I play Nightmare's Steelcage, to keep you from attacking for another two turns." Thick iron bars surrounded Yugi and his monsters, so that he couldn't attack, but neither could the Rare Hunter.
"I activate Dust Tornado, and obliterate your Steelcage." A strong wind appeared, shattering the iron bars.
"So what? You can't beat me, not in just one turn."
He's right. Destroying that Royal Decree didn't do anything for me. There's no way I can beat his Exodia now. I'm through.
"That's right, little Yugi. There is no way to stop a deck that I reinforced. You may have defeated me at Battle City, as well as this foolish Rare Hunter, but now, you don't stand a chance. This deck is the most dangerous one you've ever faced, and you are out of tricks to play.
"If you do manage to defeat the unstoppable Exodia, then I will have to put even stronger opponents in your path. But, I shall claim the Millennium Puzzle from you, because it is my destiny.
"Yami may have defeated me five thousand years ago, and locked me inside the Millennium Ring, but I have the will and power to face him now, and destroy him. And you, too, little Yugi."
The figure that spoke was shrouded in shadows, but his form was that of a teenager, tall and thin. He spoke in a malicious voice, unnaturally deep for his age. That was, if it was the body's age you were going by. It was very fitting for a spirit five thousand years of age.
The spirit was of an ancient Egyptian high priest named Seto. He had led a revolution against Pharaoh Yami, using the powerful magic of the Shadow Realm against his sorcerers. His followers had been defeated, and banished to the Shadow Realm. But, he came forward, and destroyed all but the pharaoh with the power of the Blue-eyes White Dragon. Somehow, though, he was defeated, and both his soul and the pharaoh's were sealed in Millennium Items.
Now, here he was, five millennia later, a parasite living off of others. It was sickeningly horrible, trapped inside another's body. It was also infuriating. But, if it was the only way to gain the powers of the Shadow Games of old, then it was worth it.
But he still needed to win the other four Millennium Items. He was after the Millennium Puzzle already, and knew that Ishizu Ishtar held the Millennium Necklace once again—she had given it to Yugi after losing to Kaiba in the Battle City finals.
The other two, he had been told, belonged to an Egyptian mystic named Shadi, who also had a relationship to the Ishtar family. Soon, he would lure them to Domino—Shadi had investigated Duelist Isle after the Spirit took the Millennium Eye from Maximillion Pegasus. It would be easy to take the Millennium Items from those fools, especially after he harnessed the might of the Millennium Puzzle.
"Now, soon, it will be mine. And, with Yugi out of the way, I'll finally be able to claim the last of the Millennium Items!"
But, for now, he thought, I'll have to take care of Yugi, and make sure he doesn't escape my trap.
Because, at the end of this turn, I will have the final piece of Exodia back in my hand, and Yugi will be finished—forever!
Yugi! There is still a way to destroy Exodia. Think! At Battle City, you destroyed all three sets of Exodia cards, meaning he couldn't have that many cards in his deck. And, he's increased the number of strategic cards in his deck, making less room for Exodia.
Yugi understood what Yami was hinting at. Meaning that, if I destroyed his hand, or forced him to play one of them, he wouldn't be able to assemble it again!
Exactly.
"Tell me, Rare Hunter, how many sets of Exodia do you have in your deck?"
"Why do you care?" he snapped.
"Because, I want to know how much I'm getting for this complete waste of my time." That would get him mad.
"I may only have one set of Exodia cards, but I can reuse them so that, even if destroyed, they'll come back to haunt you."
"That's all I wanted to know before I draw," Yugi replied coolly.
"What are you planning, Yugi?" Joey Wheeler asked. He came close and leaned his ear close to Yugi.
"Remember when Marik was controlling you?" he whispered.
"Yeah," Joey replied quietly.
"Remember how I first got you to see the Red-eyes card?"
"Oh! I see what you're doing. Did you draw the card?"
"Yes."
"Then beat him!" He stepped back to join Tristan Taylor and Tea Gardner.
Yugi turned back to his robed opponent. "I just drew the one card that can defeat Exodia once and for all. I play Exchange!"
"What is that?"
"A rare and powerful magic card, which lets each player take one card from their opponent's hand for the remainder of the duel. So, pick any one you want." Yugi held up the four cards in his hand—Oppressed People, Restructor Revolution, Kuriboh, and Horn Imp. The Rare Hunter took Restructor Revolution—a card that dealt 200 points of damage for each card in the target's hand.
Yugi looked at the Rare Hunter's hand, which had four pieces of Exodia and a strange magic card he didn't recognize. It had Exodia's head, with lightning linking it to five gravestones. "I'll take Exodia's right arm," Yugi said.
"So you figured out a new way to destroy Exodia, Yugi," the Rare Hunter said. But there was something different about his tone. Yugi, with Yami's guidance, looked at the man's forehead. The Eye of Anubis, the Millennium Symbol, was glowing. He was once again being controlled by the Millennium Rod. "Good for you. But it will do you no good."
"You'd be surprised."
"For my turn, I set one card face-down, and activate your Restructor Revolution magic card, dealing eight hundred points of direct damage to your life points!"
"Not if I turn your attack back on you!"
"How?"
"With this trap card: Mystical Refpanel!" An angelic ghost got in the way of the attack, holding up a mirror. The attack was sent back at the Rare Hunter. "Since you have only the three pieces of Exodia in your hand, you only take 600 points of damage. But that brings you down to 2400 life points."
"You will pay for that, Yugi!"
"Will I? Or is this just the beginning—of your defeat?"
"I will destroy you!"
"That's what you think. Now, Red-eyes Black Dragon, destroy Big Eye! Inferno Fireball!" The black dragon blasted Yugi's ears with another ferocious roar, and the many-eyed fiend was blown apart. "I'll also set one monster card face-down."
"For my turn, play The Dark Door, limiting each of us to one attack per turn. Then, I'll set Exodia's head, in defense mode."
"I'll sacrifice Exodia's right arm and Zombyra the Dark to summon the Dark Magician, in attack mode. Red-eyes Black Dragon, attack!"
"I set another card in defense mode, and play Monster Reborn, reviving your Big Shield to defend my life points."
"Dark Magician, Dark Magic attack!" The purple-armored mage lifted his blue scepter, and aimed it at the hologram of the face down card. A beam of dark energy was released from the crystal sphere at the top of the staff, obliterating another piece of Exodia.
"My turn. I play Tribute to the Doomed, sacrificing Exodia's left leg to destroy your Dark Magician. I also set a card in defense mode."
"Fine, then. I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in attack mode. Destroy that monster, with your Magic Blade Slash!" The magician warrior leapt into the air, and brought the elegant blade crashing down on the monster. It was the final piece of Exodia.
"Ha! You've fallen right into the trap I've carefully set. I was only waiting for you to destroy Exodia, because now the real fun begins. I activate the magic card I set several turns ago: Contract with Exodia."
"What is that?"
"It is the beginning of your end, Yugi. Contract with Exodia can only be activated if all five pieces of Exodia are in the graveyard. You sacrificed the piece you took, and I sacrificed one. Then, you destroyed the other three."
"So what does this so-called 'Contract' do?"
"It allows me to summon a creature more powerful than Exodia itself. Well, that's not true, because it is Exodia. Exodia Necross, that is." The Rare Hunter began to laugh. "And it is unstoppable!"
The card rose, and five headstones aligned themselves in front of the Rare Hunter. Each one had a symbol of a piece of Exodia behind them. Lightning shot from each stone, in five different colors—red, yellow, blue, green, and violet—meeting twenty feet in the air. The five colors twinned together, and a polyhedron appeared. From each section of the five-armed star came a piece of Exodia, just as if all five pieces had been assembled. But, unlike the normal golden creature that was Exodia, each one was rotten and blackened. Exodia's face was a skull.
"What do you mean?"
"It can't be attacked, nor can it be destroyed by magic or trap cards. And, each turn, it gains 500 more attack points!"
Oh, no! I can't stop that thing! It's invincible!
Seto Kaiba was in his workstation, in the main KaibaCorp building. His room was just down the hall, as was . . . Mokuba's.
Mokuba had been kidnapped in the dead of night, just a dozen hours ago or so. Nobody had come to Kaiba with a ransom, no one had called. The only people who had even noticed it were the KaibaCorp Board of Directors and the police—whom Kaiba had chased away to get rid of their bureaucratic nonsense.
Now, he had to find and save his brother. On his own.
Kaiba had a plan, though—he always did. He knew that, whoever was behind this, was an expert at Duel Monsters. But Kaiba was the one who revolutionized the game designed by Maximillion Pegasus. He was the designer of the Duelist Arenas that had been used at Duelist Kingdom and major championships around the world. The portable duel disk was his creation, both versions. He was also the one who imagined the Virtual Reality World game. He would conquer.
Because Mokuba was the only person in the world that mattered. Kaiba risked his life to save Mokuba from Maximillion Pegasus two years ago. During his Battle City tournament last year, he'd been forced to team up with Yugi Muto—his enemy—to rescue Mokuba from the Rare Hunters. Each time, he came through victorious, and he would now.
Since this person was obviously a player of Duel Monsters—the police had found a card during their investigation, a Winged Minion—that meant he would challenge Kaiba for something. So, Kaiba could do what he did to beat Yugi—play on his opponent's humanity.
Since Kaiba was the creator of the Duel Disk, he could easily modify his personal one. He installed a small needle into the arm brace, so, after activation, if his life points ever hit 0, it would inject whatever the needle contained into his arm. Such as, say, a lethal toxin.
Kaiba had just gotten the needle injector installed and was about to wire the activation button in when the phone rang. Hoping it was from the kidnapper, he leapt up and ran into his office. The phone was on his desk, which was situated by the large floor-to-ceiling window. There was a couch a few feet away, with the TV that Mokuba had spent countless hours watching while Kaiba worked.
The number on the Caller ID display was "unlisted," and it said the caller was a phone booth. An anonymous caller, then. Very likely that it was the kidnapper.
"Who is this?" he demanded as soon as the cordless phone was to his ear. "If you've harmed my brother—"
"Patience, Mr. Kaiba. Your little brother is fine. So long as you comply with my master's wishes."
"Who are you?" he repeated icily.
"You don't need to know my name, or my master's. However, you will get your brother back, when my master is ready."
"What do I have to do?" So, this is what it's like to be weak, Kaiba thought. To answer the demands of others, having your future in the hands of others. How sickening.
"Enter and win my master's new tournament. If you can beat my master, he will return your brother to you. But, if you don't—" The connection went dead, leaving Kaiba to ponder the mysterious caller's words.
Enter and win a Duel Monsters tournament? How pathetic. I will win, because there are only two duelists on earth that I know can beat me. Yugi Muto and Pegasus. But Yugi is too soft for this, and Pegasus has practically dropped off the face of the planet since Duelist Kingdom.
I'll win. Nobody will get between me and my little brother.
"Is it done yet?" the man shrouded in shadows asked one of his followers.
"Yes."
"So, do you believe that Kaiba will accept?"
"Of course. I could tell by the way he was talking that he is desperate. He is not as strong as he pretends to be."
"Thank you, Ken. Take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, though, I want those invitations in the mail. And an announcement, to attract even more willing fools."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Send an anonymous letter to both Maximillion Pegasus and Marik Ishtar. About these." The man hefted his rod, and a small golden sphere similar to the top of the rod.
"At once, master. Thank you."
"You have done well, Ken. Now, leave." The simpleton did. "Now, the next stage of my plan is in motion. Yugi will win this duel—his destroying of Exodia proves it. He'll find a way.
"But, after he does, he will be forced to enter my tournament, and then, it will all be over. He will soon face the enemies of his past, one after the next, until he is defeated.
"And, once he is, I will claim his Millennium Puzzle as my own!"
We can't give up hope, Yugi thought. There has to be a way to stop this. If monsters, magic, and traps can't work directly on it, then maybe they'll work indirectly.
Yugi could feel Yami's mental nod of agreement. But you've already used Soul Release. The only way to stop this creature would be to remove a piece of Exodia from play. There is no card in your deck tat can do that now.
You're right. We've screwed up, big time. If I'd been more careful—
You did what you had to do when you had to do it. There is still one card in this deck that can help us, if you draw it.
Which one?
Remember when I faced the spirit of Bakura's Ring, back in Duelist Kingdom?
Right. When my friends and I were all trapped inside Duel Monsters.
Correct. Bakura wanted us to create a deck out of our favorite cards, and we did. Your Dark Magician, Joey's Flame Swordsman, Tristan's Cyber Commander, and Tea's—
Magician of Faith! Tea gave me one of those to keep, right after Battle City! You know, when she thought her family was moving away.
Precisely. It is still in your deck.
Oh! If I use it to bring back Soul Release, we can destroy Exodia Necross!
Precisely. But, for now, we have to play defensively.
Right, partner!
"For my turn, I play Swords of Revealing Light, and set one card face-down."
"That's all, Yugi? Well, for my turn, I sacrifice your Big Shield to play one monster face down. And, Exodia Necross goes up 500 points!"
"I switch my Red-eyes to defense mode, and play Kuriboh and one card face-down."
"I flip the Reaper of the Cards, to destroy one of your face-down cards."
"My Mirror Force!" Yugi cried, as the reaper's scythe slashed away the blue barrier.
"And, at the end of my next turn, I'm free to attack!"
"For this turn, I set Alpha the Magnet Warrior, to defend my life points."
"I have nothing to do this turn—except watch my beautiful Exodia grow even stronger!"
"I have no cards to play."
"Now that your Swords are gone, I can attack your Kuriboh and wipe out what's left of your life points!"
"What?
"You left your little hair ball in attack mode!"
"Oh, no! He's right!"
"And, after three turns, my Exodia Necross has an attack power of 3300. You have only 2100 life points left, and Kuriboh's attack power is only 300. Meaning you'd be 900 points in the hole!"
"So what?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think your attack will even reach me?"
"You can't stop it! Exodia Necross, Obliterate him!"
"Perhaps I can. I'll show you, when I activate Multiply!" The Kuriboh began to glow, and then it divided into two, then four. The rotting Exodia roared, and a huge ball of energy shot from its arms. It hit two of the Kuriboh, and they detonated. But, much to the Rare Hunter's amazement, four more replaced it.
"What happened?"
"You see, Multiply creates an ever-expanding wall of Kuriboh. For each you destroy, two more take its place. And, they're all in defense mode." Yugi smiled triumphantly. "You may have created the ultimate Exodia-based offensive monster, but I have the ultimate defense: an ever-expanding wall of furry defenders." Yugi had given that same line to Kaiba, just before allowing Kaiba to destroy him.
"It's no matter. I have nothing else to do this turn."
"Good. I switch my Red-eyes Black Dragon to attack mode, and attack Reaper of the Cards." As the creature vanished in a halo of fire, Yugi grinned. "Since it was also in attack mode, you lose 1070 life points, bringing you down to 1330."
"It won't matter. In a few turns, you will be destroyed."
"That's what you think."
"It's true, because your Red-eyes is vulnerable to an attack now, and Exodia Necross has 3800 attack points—enough to bring your life point count down to 700. And, as soon as I manage to switch your Kuriboh to attack mode, you'll be through."
"Then you intend to attack my dragon?"
"Yes, of course. You're through!"
"Not if I activate this trap card, called Spellbinding Circle. It encases your monster in a magic ring, so that it can't attack. My Red-eyes Black Dragon is safe from harm."
"Alright, then. Have it your way."
"I will. Now, I play Polymerization, fusing Red-eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull, forming Black Skull Dragon. By equipping it with United We Stand, I raise its attack and defense scores by 5600 attack points. Meaning that it has 8800 attack points. Black Skull Dragon, Molten Fireball Attack!"
"Did you forget? My monster is invulnerable to attack!" Another ball of energy arose, and the molten trails of rock splattered against it.
"Oh, no!"
"And, my monster gains 500 attack points. Now, for this turn I play a pair of magic cards. The first is Remove Trap, destroying your Spellbinding Circle. The other is De-spell, to remove your United card. That makes your Black Skull 1100 points weaker than my Exodia!" Yugi grunted as the mighty dragon was destroyed, but said nothing.
"This duel is almost over. Each turn, my monster gains more and more power. You can't afford to play anything in attack mode now. You only have 1000 life points left!"
"Anything else?" Yugi groaned.
"Yes. I'll set two cards. That's all."
"Then for my turn . . ." Yugi looked at his hand. Magic Cylinder, Magician of Faith, Curse of Dragon, and Dark Magician Girl. That gives me an idea! "I'll set one card face-down, and a monster in defense."
"I'll activate Shadow of Eyes, to force your monster into attack mode."
"My Magician of Faith!"
"Now you won't be able to revive your Soul Release to destroy my Exodia Necross. And, I'll activate another trap card that will seal your fate: Leveling Tidalwave By sacrificing 100 life points, I can destroy all monsters on the field with one level star. Meaning that all of your Kuriboh and that Magician are all gone!" There was a roaring ocean wave, and, when it receded, all of Yugi's monsters were gone.
"You have nothing left to protect your life points from a final attack by my ultimate monster!" The Rare Hunter, still under the mind-control of his hidden master, laughed. "Now, Exodia Necross, destroy Yugi Muto once and for all!"
"Not so fast. You destroyed my monsters; you didn't touch my traps. And now this duel is over—for you! I activate Magic Cylinder, reflecting your attack back at you!"
"And I will absorb your hit by using Negate Attack. Your turn."
I need a card now that will win this. I need something to take out his Exodia cards. If I don't, then it's all over.
Heart of the Cards . . .
Yugi drew, and placed the card in his hand. Monster Reborn! I can use it to revive one piece of Exodia and destroy Necross. "This is over, Rare Hunter. I play Monster Reborn!"
"No monster in your graveyard can destroy my Exodia Necross!"
"Who said I'd revive one of my cards? No, I revive Exodia's Head!"
"What Oh—oh, no!" The piece of Exodia appeared in front of Yugi, glaring at its rotten counterpart. Then, the center gravestone crumbled, and lightning leapt from the other four. Exodia Necross shattered in a brilliant flash of light.
"And, I'll sacrifice your piece of Exodia to summon Curse of Dragon! Finish this duel!" The skeletal dragon roared, and fired a stream of flame from its mouth. The Rare Hunter fell to his knees.
Yugi panted, as Yami's spirit fled his body. It was over. He'd won.
"Take these Exodia cards—including Necross." The Rare Hunter tossed the cards to Yugi's feet. "And, here's the other part of your prize!" There was a bright light, and Yugi was blinded. Moments later, he turned to his friends, and saw that Tristan and Tea were slumped over. Dead.
"No, they're not dead," the Rare Hunter said, as if reading his thoughts. "But their souls are now in my possession. If you want them back, you'll have to enter and win the Battle City II tournament. Otherwise, well, they'll remain my prisoners. Forever!" The Rare Hunter's controller laughed viciously, and then he went completely limp. He slumped over, and Yugi knew he would not speak for many hours at least.
"I—I can't believe it!" Joey stammered. "Tristan? Tea? Come on, talk to me!"
Yugi wasn't paying attention. He was conversing with Yami, trying to hide his shock.
So it looks like we've been forced into this again, Yami thought.
Yes. But how can we beat this madman? He has two Millennium Items—maybe even more! How will we beat him?
The same way we've overcome all of our challenges in the past—trust in our deck and faith in ourselves. We will be dueling without our friends now, but that doesn't matter. We will save them, because there is no other option.
I hope you're right.
He felt Yami sigh. So do I, Yugi. So do I.
"Now that my plans are in motion, it is time to start my preparations for Yugi's final duel. He thinks that, with the pharaoh at his side, he will win. But, I have more power than he ever will. Both Yugi and his Puzzle will be defenseless against me!"
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
HalHorn's Created Card:
LEVELING TIDALWAVE
Trap Card - Normal
When you activate this card, pay Life Points in increments of 100.For each 100 Life Points paid for this effect, destroy all face-up Effect Monster Cards of the same Level.
Played by: Seeker (Rare Hunter)