Tournament of the Millennium!
Chapter 14: Not Just a Garden Ornament – Worshipping False GodsYugi walked into the crowd of people outside the hotel, quickly becoming separated from the rest of the group. The book he'd received in the package weighed heavily on his mind, because he was sure he knew what it meant. It had something to do with the person who'd organized this entire tournament, and Yugi was guessing that whoever it was had sent it to him as a taunt. Proof of his power. And if that guy had one, or even, all of those Millennia Items Yugi had read about then he'd probably be hideously powerful. He shook his head to clear it. He'd come out here to find a duel and get back in the running for this tournament.
As he shoved through the crowd, Yugi got the sense that someone was following him. He abruptly spun around and the small man who'd been following him crashed right into him, knocking them both over. As Yugi pulled himself up, the other man brushed himself off and stood up. Yugi noticed with some astonishment that the man was even shorter than him, that the man wore a red pointed cap, and was very squat. He looked to Yugi just like an oversized garden gnome.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, it's just that I was so eager to meet you because after all, you're the great Yugi Moto, the champion of the world in terms of Duel Monsters and….you don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?" the man finished lamely.
Yugi scooped up his translator, which had come off in the crash and connected it back to his ear.
"Pardon?"
The man grabbed Yugi's hand and pumped it warmly.
"My name is Aaron Fowler. I'd like to challenge you to a duel. All or nothing. I already have 4 pieces of Exodia, but I'm missing the head." He beamed proudly at his achievement.
Yugi looked slightly bemused at the man's offer.
"You want to play for all 4 of your pieces? I have the head, but nothing else to offer you. So why would you offer 4 pieces of Exodia?"
Aaron rubbed the back of his head in a nervous manner.
"Well, I really worked hard to finish my deck and if I lose I don't want to lose any of my deck, so I'm offering 4 pieces of Exodia in exhange for not having to follow the ante rule if I lose. And if I win, you'll probably have to hand over a really rare card, so it's only fair."
Yugi transformed with a flash of invisible light and confirmed in a deeper voice that he would accept the duel. People stood aside as the two duelists prepared for the upcoming battle.
Yami picked Dark Magician Girl to be his deckmaster, while Aaron picked a monster he announced as being the Gnomish Battletank of Many Broken Toasters.
Yami drew his five cards and then added a sixth to his hand, since he was the challenged. He looked over his hand and smirked.
"I'll set two cards face-down and play Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400-1200) in Attack Mode!" called Yami confidently. Two brown-backed cards appeared, along with the elfin warrior, who swung his sword in a wide arc.
Aaron's eyes widened slightly as he drew his sixth card.
"I don't think I have any monsters available to me that can destroy that monster. So I'll play Gnome's Greed! This card allows us both to draw 2 cards." Aaron wiggled his eyebrows as he slipped his cards from his deck. When he looked at his cards, Aaron then clapped his hands and whooped with joy. Yami stared at him, bewildered.
"I spoke too soon. Face the Great Gnomish Conversion Mechanic (1500-1000)! Now, use Spanner Attack!" called Aaron as his monster leapt forward and crushed the Celtic Guardian's skull. As it died, Yami pressed a button on his DuelDisk.
"Activate Line of the Soul! I am allowed to pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon Green Gadget (1400-1600) in Defense Mode! And when Green Gadget is summoned that allows me to put a Red Gadget from my deck into my hand!" shouted Yami as a green cog appeared on his side of the field. His life points fell to 6900 as he drew.
Yami looked at his hand, which had seven cards in it. He pulled two cards from it and lay them on the field.
"I'll set 1 card face down and summon the Red Gadget (1300-1500) in Defense Mode! This lets me put the Yellow Gadget from my deck into my hand. That will end my turn."
Another cog, similar to the one standing next to it, but this time red, appeared. Aaron raised his eyebrows and drew a card. He then slipped it into his DuelDisk and activated it.
"I shall activate Solar Power, which gives all LIGHT-type monsters 200 ATK/DEF, while all DARK-type monsters lose 200 ATK and DEF. Now I'll activate Gnomish Adrenaline Rush to raise my Great Gnomish Conversion Mechanic's ATK and DEF by 500 for 1 turn. At the end of the turn you then gain 1000 LP."
The squat mechanic's eyes widened and his stats changed to 2000-1500, then he charged at the green cog. As he did a huge mechanical beast burst from the ground and the mechanic ran into it, then halted his attack. Aaron looked more than a little surprised.
"I activate Stronghold Fortress, a Trap that becomes a monster with 2000 DEF. Since you only have 2000 ATK, you can't get past it." Yami smirked as his life points jumped to 7900. "Thank you Aaron. Although your card did little for you, it was of great benefit to me."
Yami drew his card and looked at it, then pulled another card from his hand.
"Now I'll summon Yellow Gadget (1200-1200) in Attack Mode and change Red Gadget, Green Gadget and Stronghold Fortress into Attack Mode as well! Because when all 3 of my gadgets are on the field, Stronghold Fortress's ATK becomes 3000!"
The three cogs leapt up and slotted themselves into the previously inert machine. Immediately it began to whir and stood up, then launched a huge mechanical fist at the tiny gnome mechanic. It was immediately crushed and Aaron's Life Points fell to 6500. They were quickly reduced again to 2600 as the three gadgets each flew out of the giant robot in turn and attacked Aaron directly. Aaron gasped in surprise and then laughed as he recovered from the surprise of the attack.
"A good play, Yugi. One of your outstanding caliber. But I'm not particularly worried. I think I'll just set these 3 cards on the field and summon a Steam-Powered Skateboard of Death (1000-800) in Defense Mode and end my turn."
Yami snatched a card from his deck and grinned as he looked at it. Then he slipped it onto the field, along with another card.
"You are probably depending on your facedown cards to help you, so that's why I'm activating Great Wind! It destroys all of your facedown cards and I can draw 1 card. So say goodbye to your plans and this duel!" commanded Yami as the holographic wind dragged at his jacket. Aaron simply laughed and pressed a button on his dueldisk.
"I'll activate Simplicity. This reduces 1 of your cards to 1 effect only, which I choose to be that you may draw 1 card. So my facedown cards are safe." He grinned at having eluded Yami's card.
Yami looked at his hand again and then ordered his Stronghold Fortress to attack the shabby skateboard on Aaron's field. Aaron began to chuckle as the attack closed in and flipped 1 of his 2 remaining cards.
"I'll activate Nuclear Meltdown – Gnomish Style! If there are at least 5 monsters on the field, they are all destroyed and their total ATK strength is inflicted to both our life points," Aaron explained matter-of-factly.
Yami did some quick calculations in his head and gasped.
"No! That's 7900 Life Points of damage, which means that we draw!"
Aaron shook his head and watched the 5 machines explode.
"Actually no. The maximum we can each lose is 4000, so you still have 3900 Life Points left."
"While you have none! I see no point to this play," Yami objected. Aaron's other card flipped up.
"I'm also going to activate Explosive Sugar Substitute! This card gives me 2000 Life Points, leaving me with 600 Life Points after I lose the 4000!" called Aaron calmly. As he did a mushroom cloud appeared above the field and all of the monsters on the field melted into slime. Aaron then smirked and three hideous mutants appeared on his field. Since Yami looked shocked, Aaron sighed and started to explain.
"There is another effect to my nuclear meltdown. After it finishes, I am allowed to summon three Mutated Duel Monster cards (700-900) in Attack mode. And now I shall draw." Aaron grabbed his next card and smirked. Then he began to speak again.
"The drawback to Explosive Sugar Substitute is that in two turns I must destroy 2 of my monsters on the field. This is my first turn. Now I'll activate Gnome's Broth of Vigor! I regain 3000 Life Points at the cost of 5 cards from my deck and my next turn. But because I must skip my next turn, none of my monsters will be destroyed."
Aaron then pointed to his strange mutant monsters on the field and Yami gasped in surprise as their ATK rose to 1100 each.
"Yeah, my Mutated Duel Monsters gain 400 ATK each turn. Now, I'll attack you directly, leaving you with 600 Life Points!" shouted Aaron cheerfully.
The three crazy beasts charged at Yami and slapped him with various wrongly-proportioned appendages, before retreating back to Aaron's flanks. Aaron set 1 card and ended his turn.
Yami grimaced as he drew his next card. He had only 600 Life Points left and this card would be vital if he were to survive. He looked at it and a smile broke out onto his face.
"I'll play Sanctuary to allow us to draw to six cards in our hands. Then I'll set 2 cards facedown and end my turn. But because of your Broth of Vigor I get to draw again, so I draw and I'll now play Dian Keto the Cure Master."
A kindly-looking lady appeared and Yami's Life Points briefly rose to 1600, before falling back to 600.
"I then activate Blood of Brothers. At the cost of 1000 of my Life Points I can summon 2 monsters from my deck of the same Sub-type. So I will call out Queen's Knight (1500-1600) and King's Knight (1600-1200). When I have both King's Knight and Queen's Knight on the field, which in turn allows me to call out the Jack's Knight (1900-1200)! And with three monsters on the field I can sacrifice them all for Slifer the Sky Dragon (X000-X000). It's attack is based on the number of cards in my hand, so it has 3000 ATK. But if I activate Pot of Greed, it goes up to 4000!"
Yami's three knights disappeared in a flash as he held out his greatest monster. The huge red dragon burst onto the field and loomed over the strange monsters on Aaron's field ominously. It released a wave of pure lightning at the first one and struck it, dropping Aaron's Life Points to 1500. However, Yami looked surprised as the freaky monster wasn't destroyed.
"Why is your monster still alive? And why did you only lose 2100 Life Points? You should have lost 2900 Life Points, and yet you still have 1500 Life Points left. Explain."
Aaron smiled slightly.
"Certainly. My Mutated Duel Monsters each gain 400 ATK every turn, including your turns. 2 turns have passed so they each gained 800 ATK. And my Mutated Duel Monsters also can't be destroyed during their first 3 turns on the field, so it remains for my turn, when they all increase to 2300 ATK."
Aaron drew and snickered slightly as he looked at his card.
"I'll play God Conversion Facility! This field magic card costs 1000 Life Points to activate, so I am left with 500 Life Points. Next, I'll play Incompetent Tomb Thief. This Spell card lets me activate a Spell from your graveyard, so I'll use your Dian Keto the Cure Master! Now that I have 1500 Life Points again, I will activate Spell to the Fifth Power!"
Around the two duelists, the field became an industrial work yard, and a glowing portal shimmered in the middle of it.
"This Spell card allows us to each use the Spell cards in our Graveyards, in order from bottom to top, for 5 turns. So that means I must first activate Gnome's Greed, so you have six cards in your hand, as do I. Next, I will sacrifice my 3 monsters on the field to summon my own God Card, Slifer the Hover-Propulsion Dragon! This card is as powerful as your monster, since it too has Attack and Defense equal to the number of cards in my hand, which is 5."
Yami looked on in shock as a clunky, mechanical version of Slifer appeared on the field with a recorded roar.
"So, a copy of the God Cards that isn't actually a god card. Ingenious. But it doesn't matter, because when you summon a monster, Slifer attacks with Summon Lightning Impact, reducing your monster's ATK down to 3000. So it bears no threat to me."
Aaron looked slightly perturbed at what had happened.
"Hmm, your dragon's effect is more powerful than mine. My effect only reduces by 1000. But it doesn't matter. Because now I will activate my next Spell card in my Graveyard, Gnomish Adrenalin Rush. This increases my Slifer's ATK up to 3500, but more importantly, allows me to activate my Explosive Sugar Substitute. I gain 2000 Life Points, leaving me with 3500 Life Points."
Aaron pulled two other cards from his hand and activated them.
"I'm going to play Machine Production Fault. I can remove all Machine-type monsters in both decks from the game. So I must remove several of my cards. Do you have to remove any?" Aaron asked Yami curiously.
Yami grudgingly pulled Bronze Gadget, Silver Gadget, and Gold Gadget from his deck and put them aside.
"Next I'll play Gnome's Twilight Portal Machine. It lets me revive any monsters in my removed from game pile, at a cost of 1000 for each monster. Plus, you may call out 2 of your monsters from your removed from game pile."
On Yami's field, the silver and gold cogs appeared next to Slifer and began to jump around energetically. On Aaron's field, a card that looked almost like Ra, save a large solar panel on it's back, and a vicious looking blue boxing robot with huge blue fists appeared.
"I've summoned Solar-Panel Powered Dragon of Ra (0-0) and Mechanical Obelisk (4000-4000), but because of Slifer's effect, Mechanical Obelisk now has 2000 ATK. And my Hover-Propulsion Slifer has only 1500 ATK. Not that it matters."
Aaron flipped his facedown Trap card and a huge black panel appeared, with large cables running to Ra's back.
"I'm activating Solar Panel. When Solar Panel and Solar Power are active I can use Ra's effects other than just how to determine his ATK and DEF. So, I can pay 1000 of my remaining 1500 Life Points to destroy any one of your two facedown cards. And the one I destroy is…that one!" Aaron called, pointing to the left. It flipped up to reveal Mirror Force, which shattered after being lifted.
"Now, I'll sacrifice Slifer the Hover-Propulsion Dragon and Solar-Panel Powered Dragon of Ra to use the Big Hand Crusher effect of Mechanical Obelisk! It will destroy all of the monsters on your side of the field, and then Mechanical Obelisk will attack to finish this duel!" yelled Aaron in frenzy. As the boxing machine lunged forward, Yami's facedown trap flipped up to reveal…
"Reduction Barrier! This reduces the damage I take by 9 tenths, down to 200. That means I have 400 Life Points left and now I begin my turn, gaining 1000 Life Points from Gnome's Adrenalin Rush."
Yami drew his card and looked at it. He then studied his hand and smirked. He pulled a card from it and summoned it.
"I'll summon the Skilled Dark Magician (1900-1700). This is the card that will finish you for, once 3 Spells have been activated while this is on the field, I can transform it into Dark Magician (2500-2100). Since you only have 500 Life Points, when I attack with it, you are finished. I'll start by using your Spell to the Fifth Power to activate Great Wind. This card will destroy your God Conversion Facility, along with allowing me to draw another card."
As Yami's windstorm began to blow, Mechanical Obelisk glowed and the wind died down. Yami looked on in shock.
"My God Conversion Facility, if any of my gods are on the field, can negate a Spell at the cost of discarding a card from my hand."
"Fine then, I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master to gain 1000 Life Points." Yami stated shortly.
"Nope, I negate it," Aaron replied simply. Yami growled and activated his next Spell in his Graveyard.
"Fine then, I use Pot of Greed!"
"Uh uh. I discard my third card to negate that as well."
Yami looked at his Graveyard and cursed. The next Spell in it was Sanctuary, which would refresh Aaron's hand. Then he glanced back down at his hand and realized that there was another way.
"Fine. I activate Magical Regeneration to take back my Dian Keto by sending two other Spells from my hand to my Graveyard. And then I will activate that card."
Aaron watched, slightly nervous, as Yami's Life Points rose to 2400. Then Yami pulled another card from his hand and Aaron felt his stomach shrivel. That was it then. The third Spell. And he was unable to stop it. Might as well pack it in.
"Now I'll play my final Spell, Curse Breaker! This will destroy your God Conversion Facility and allow me to change Skilled Dark Magician into Dark Magician!"
The young mage became visibly wiser and his armour became sleek and heroic looking. Then he leveled his staff and waited for Yami's order.
"Do it. Win this for me." Yami watched unmoving as the Dark Magician fired a single concentrated blast of black magic at the huge robot. The fake Obelisk was torn apart and Aaron's Life Points fell to 0. The duel was over.
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Yugi smiled appreciatively as Aaron handed over the four pieces of Exodia, muttered something about improving his Gnome deck and walked solemnly away. Then Yugi turned away and began to trot back to the BattleDome, where all of the qualifiers were required to go. He couldn't wait for Round 2!