"My dear," Evo said, with his typical cool and collected voice. "The only
thing that you'll succeed in doing by continuing to pound on the door like
that is cause injury to your hand. You will not be able to open that door."
Serena stopped her pounding, and turned on Evo with a wicked glance. "Just because you don't care that Fader is trapped in there doing God knows what doesn't mean that I have to stop trying."
"I never said that I do not care. I simply don't see the point in wasting energy on a futile effort. Our dear Mr. Fader is more than capable of handling himself. He is not only the wielder of the Millennium Puzzle, but is a powerful duelist, having overcome both of us in his rise to the championship of the Battle City tournament. Not only that but he managed to overcome near death itself. So my dear, believe me when I say that he is fine."
She stepped down from the entryway and approached Evo. "Speaking of Battle City," she said. "Why? That's the one question that's been on my mind for some time now, why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you decide to host the tournament?"
"I simply wanted to partake in the celebration of the one hundred year anniversary of the first Battle City tournament."
"Don't give me any of that tripe. If anyone should have been doing that it should have been me. It was my grandfather who hosted the very first one. His legacy, not yours! And then you dangled that damned piece of the Millennium Puzzle out there to get duelists all over the world to come out. For what? Did you think that you were going to get them all for yourself?"
"No. I knew before the tournament even started that I would never be the one to hold the Millennium Puzzle. My lovely Jaina was wonderful enough to grant me that particular insight."
"So why?"
"Because while Jaina did not see that I would hold the Millennium Puzzle, she was positive that I would be the holder of a Millennium Item." He gestured to the Millennium ring around his neck. "As you can see, she was right. What she also saw through the powers of insight that the Millennium Necklace gives her were dark clouds forming on the horizon. Clouds that were obscuring the future and looming with a sense of impending doom. Through those dark clouds though, she saw a light break through it, joined by six other beacons. That light was the power of the Millennium Puzzle, joined by the power of the other Millennium items. Dark forces were getting closer and closer, and as things stood we sere not ready to stand against them. My link with the spirit of the Millennium Ring was very faint, linked by a small piece of his spirit he had placed in the Millennium Puzzle. He urged and guided me to create the Battle city tournament as a way of ushering forward the creation of the Puzzle. Speeding it up if you will." Evo pointed over to Shadi. "It was Shadi however that can take most of the credit for my interest in the Millennium Items."
"What? How?"
The deceivingly young Egyptian stepped forward to answer the question. "I found he and Jaina in the desert, searching for answers to questions that had come from his search for the Puzzle pieces. It was then that Jaina received the Millennium Necklace, and was granted insight into the future. They departed Egypt soon after to assimilate this new knowledge. I ventured on my own journey to watch the different pieces of the Millennium Puzzle, to make sure that they would move into position."
"The three extra pieces?"
"Possessed by those who did not accept the invitation to the Battle City tournament."
"The invitations were sent to the Puzzle Piece holders specifically?"
"Correct," answered Evo. "As well as some of the higher ranked duelists in the world of course. With Jaina's visions of the future obscured we couldn't be too certain it wouldn't be someone without any pieces at all. So the Battle City invitations were sent out to all those who had been visioned to have a piece of the Puzzle and then the best duelists in the world. My men were then hired to procure as many of those pieces as they could from the participants. It also served as a good means of testing the competitors. You yourself passed that test, by defeating Jaina in your duel at the warehouse."
"As I recall you kidnaped me and left me hanging from the roof of that same warehouse anyway."
"Something for which I haven't yet apologized for, I'm sorry. Yes you were kidnaped, and I suppose even if I say it was for a purpose that it wouldn't make a difference would it?" Serena's expression was unwavering. "I didn't think so. I need you as incentive for Fader. He had already proved to be an x-factor in the equation early on, when he interrupted my men's attempts to liberate one of the pieces from young Beezy and defeated Potemkin. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. If he won, I would know the most likely candidate for completing the Puzzle, and if he lost I would gain two more pieces, one from him, and another from Mr. Beezy, who of course turned his piece over to Fader right after that duel. After he defeated a gauntlet of my best duelists I was positive that it would be he who would complete the Puzzle, and I set out to help him do just that."
The doors to the entrance of the temple opened ominously ad two figured stepped forward, silhouetted in light. "You've invested so much time and effort into that endeavor Evo. Was it really worth it, knowing that now it was all worthless?" Two familiar figures stepped completely into the temple, revealing their features as the stone doors closed behind them.
"Sin," Serena said.
Evo added quickly, "Discord."
Sin turned to his companion and he tossed off the grey robe he was wearing. "So nice to be remembered isn't it?"
Adora, who had been silent for hours, changed expressions form one of stoicism to one of pure hatred. "Where is my brother's body?" she shouted.
"Oh, it's the young whelp. She appears to remember me too."
"Tell me!" Shadi had stepped forward now and was blocking Adora, preventing her from rushing forward to what was most likely to be her doom.
"I will do what I please, and will not be yelled at by children like that. You should respect your elders."
"You should take your own advice," Evo advised, stepping to the front fo the group. "I suggest you leave."
"It's funny the way you say that thief. You say it like you actually have the power to stop me from doing as I please. As I remember though, you already tried that and it didn't work."
Serena piped up now, stepping to Evo's side, joined by Jaina. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here."
"Miss Kaiba. How nice to see you again. Still very pretty, though not as pretty as you were when I stood over your unconscious body. How are you?"
Serena said nothing. Evo though spoke up, "Why are you here?"
"We have unfinished business. Or don't you remember that? I told you that I have come for you, Serena Kaiba. I could have easily taken you the last time we met, but instead I opted to spare you for a brief time. Now, however I have come to collect."
"You don't honestly think that she is going anywhere with you?" asked Evo.
"Planning to duel me again thief? Or did the agony of your last match not embarrass you enough. And if you hadn't noticed I have my own associate here with me this time. You are no match for the power the two of us wield together."
"I've already defeated your partner, and the last time we dueled I wasn't wielding the powers of one of the Egyptian God cards." "Yes yes. I was a little disappointed that Discord was unable to acquire the God Soldier Obelisk from the girl in America, but it's power is nothing of extreme significance. Actually it was the second of the Egyptian gods that I was searching for by coming here today, the Saint God Dragon Osiris. It appears though that once again you have beaten us to the punch. the setback is minor though. I'll take both of the God's and Serena with me when I leave here today. Then all that will be left to find is the elusive third, which I have yet to establish the location of. But it doesn't matter."
"No it doesn't. Because you aren't leaving here today." Evo locked his duel disk into position and stepped forward again. "Serena, Jaina get back."
"You don't seriously think you can handle both of us simply alone do you?"
"He won't be dueling alone!" everyone turned and looked back at the entrance at the back of the temple. Fader stood in the now re-opened entry- way with Caecius. He slowly walked down the steps until he stood right next to Evo, looking Sin straight in the eyes. "So you're Sin. I've heard a lot about you." Fader then shuffled his deck and locked it into his own Duel Disk. "If you want Osiris so bad then I'll be more than happy to give you a taste of its power."
"Have it your way then. I'll enjoy taking your Egyptian God card, your girlfriend and your life this day Fader. And after I defeat you, I'll grind your Millennium Puzzle into dust." Sin locked his own duel disk into position and Discord tossed off her own robe and did the same. "Let's duel!"
Fader: 4000, Evo: 4000, Sin: 4000, Discord: 4000.
Serena stopped her pounding, and turned on Evo with a wicked glance. "Just because you don't care that Fader is trapped in there doing God knows what doesn't mean that I have to stop trying."
"I never said that I do not care. I simply don't see the point in wasting energy on a futile effort. Our dear Mr. Fader is more than capable of handling himself. He is not only the wielder of the Millennium Puzzle, but is a powerful duelist, having overcome both of us in his rise to the championship of the Battle City tournament. Not only that but he managed to overcome near death itself. So my dear, believe me when I say that he is fine."
She stepped down from the entryway and approached Evo. "Speaking of Battle City," she said. "Why? That's the one question that's been on my mind for some time now, why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you decide to host the tournament?"
"I simply wanted to partake in the celebration of the one hundred year anniversary of the first Battle City tournament."
"Don't give me any of that tripe. If anyone should have been doing that it should have been me. It was my grandfather who hosted the very first one. His legacy, not yours! And then you dangled that damned piece of the Millennium Puzzle out there to get duelists all over the world to come out. For what? Did you think that you were going to get them all for yourself?"
"No. I knew before the tournament even started that I would never be the one to hold the Millennium Puzzle. My lovely Jaina was wonderful enough to grant me that particular insight."
"So why?"
"Because while Jaina did not see that I would hold the Millennium Puzzle, she was positive that I would be the holder of a Millennium Item." He gestured to the Millennium ring around his neck. "As you can see, she was right. What she also saw through the powers of insight that the Millennium Necklace gives her were dark clouds forming on the horizon. Clouds that were obscuring the future and looming with a sense of impending doom. Through those dark clouds though, she saw a light break through it, joined by six other beacons. That light was the power of the Millennium Puzzle, joined by the power of the other Millennium items. Dark forces were getting closer and closer, and as things stood we sere not ready to stand against them. My link with the spirit of the Millennium Ring was very faint, linked by a small piece of his spirit he had placed in the Millennium Puzzle. He urged and guided me to create the Battle city tournament as a way of ushering forward the creation of the Puzzle. Speeding it up if you will." Evo pointed over to Shadi. "It was Shadi however that can take most of the credit for my interest in the Millennium Items."
"What? How?"
The deceivingly young Egyptian stepped forward to answer the question. "I found he and Jaina in the desert, searching for answers to questions that had come from his search for the Puzzle pieces. It was then that Jaina received the Millennium Necklace, and was granted insight into the future. They departed Egypt soon after to assimilate this new knowledge. I ventured on my own journey to watch the different pieces of the Millennium Puzzle, to make sure that they would move into position."
"The three extra pieces?"
"Possessed by those who did not accept the invitation to the Battle City tournament."
"The invitations were sent to the Puzzle Piece holders specifically?"
"Correct," answered Evo. "As well as some of the higher ranked duelists in the world of course. With Jaina's visions of the future obscured we couldn't be too certain it wouldn't be someone without any pieces at all. So the Battle City invitations were sent out to all those who had been visioned to have a piece of the Puzzle and then the best duelists in the world. My men were then hired to procure as many of those pieces as they could from the participants. It also served as a good means of testing the competitors. You yourself passed that test, by defeating Jaina in your duel at the warehouse."
"As I recall you kidnaped me and left me hanging from the roof of that same warehouse anyway."
"Something for which I haven't yet apologized for, I'm sorry. Yes you were kidnaped, and I suppose even if I say it was for a purpose that it wouldn't make a difference would it?" Serena's expression was unwavering. "I didn't think so. I need you as incentive for Fader. He had already proved to be an x-factor in the equation early on, when he interrupted my men's attempts to liberate one of the pieces from young Beezy and defeated Potemkin. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. If he won, I would know the most likely candidate for completing the Puzzle, and if he lost I would gain two more pieces, one from him, and another from Mr. Beezy, who of course turned his piece over to Fader right after that duel. After he defeated a gauntlet of my best duelists I was positive that it would be he who would complete the Puzzle, and I set out to help him do just that."
The doors to the entrance of the temple opened ominously ad two figured stepped forward, silhouetted in light. "You've invested so much time and effort into that endeavor Evo. Was it really worth it, knowing that now it was all worthless?" Two familiar figures stepped completely into the temple, revealing their features as the stone doors closed behind them.
"Sin," Serena said.
Evo added quickly, "Discord."
Sin turned to his companion and he tossed off the grey robe he was wearing. "So nice to be remembered isn't it?"
Adora, who had been silent for hours, changed expressions form one of stoicism to one of pure hatred. "Where is my brother's body?" she shouted.
"Oh, it's the young whelp. She appears to remember me too."
"Tell me!" Shadi had stepped forward now and was blocking Adora, preventing her from rushing forward to what was most likely to be her doom.
"I will do what I please, and will not be yelled at by children like that. You should respect your elders."
"You should take your own advice," Evo advised, stepping to the front fo the group. "I suggest you leave."
"It's funny the way you say that thief. You say it like you actually have the power to stop me from doing as I please. As I remember though, you already tried that and it didn't work."
Serena piped up now, stepping to Evo's side, joined by Jaina. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here."
"Miss Kaiba. How nice to see you again. Still very pretty, though not as pretty as you were when I stood over your unconscious body. How are you?"
Serena said nothing. Evo though spoke up, "Why are you here?"
"We have unfinished business. Or don't you remember that? I told you that I have come for you, Serena Kaiba. I could have easily taken you the last time we met, but instead I opted to spare you for a brief time. Now, however I have come to collect."
"You don't honestly think that she is going anywhere with you?" asked Evo.
"Planning to duel me again thief? Or did the agony of your last match not embarrass you enough. And if you hadn't noticed I have my own associate here with me this time. You are no match for the power the two of us wield together."
"I've already defeated your partner, and the last time we dueled I wasn't wielding the powers of one of the Egyptian God cards." "Yes yes. I was a little disappointed that Discord was unable to acquire the God Soldier Obelisk from the girl in America, but it's power is nothing of extreme significance. Actually it was the second of the Egyptian gods that I was searching for by coming here today, the Saint God Dragon Osiris. It appears though that once again you have beaten us to the punch. the setback is minor though. I'll take both of the God's and Serena with me when I leave here today. Then all that will be left to find is the elusive third, which I have yet to establish the location of. But it doesn't matter."
"No it doesn't. Because you aren't leaving here today." Evo locked his duel disk into position and stepped forward again. "Serena, Jaina get back."
"You don't seriously think you can handle both of us simply alone do you?"
"He won't be dueling alone!" everyone turned and looked back at the entrance at the back of the temple. Fader stood in the now re-opened entry- way with Caecius. He slowly walked down the steps until he stood right next to Evo, looking Sin straight in the eyes. "So you're Sin. I've heard a lot about you." Fader then shuffled his deck and locked it into his own Duel Disk. "If you want Osiris so bad then I'll be more than happy to give you a taste of its power."
"Have it your way then. I'll enjoy taking your Egyptian God card, your girlfriend and your life this day Fader. And after I defeat you, I'll grind your Millennium Puzzle into dust." Sin locked his own duel disk into position and Discord tossed off her own robe and did the same. "Let's duel!"
Fader: 4000, Evo: 4000, Sin: 4000, Discord: 4000.